Baabul, the latest release from the stables of Ravi Chopra, starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, released to great expectations, across the country on Friday.

In the national capital, however, opinions varied, but most agreed that it was an engaging film.

Rachna, a viewer who had watched the film with the family in tow, confessed to having enjoyed it thoroughly.

"It is superb. Right from start to end, everything about the film is wonderful...Most interesting was the performance of Amitabh Bachchan," said Rachna.

Shruti, another viewer, was lukewarm in her reactions about the movie.

"The film is just about fine. I guess Baghban (another Bachchan Starrer from the Chopras) was better. There is nothing great to write home about in Baabul.

It's like a normal film...good...but very predictable, we could even predict the forthcoming scenes...like any normal Hindi drama, nothing exclusive," she said.

But among the viewers of Baabul, some thought making comparisons with Baghban were unfair.

"Baghban was a totally different theme. So, you cannot really compare...but all said and done, Amitabh Bachchan was superb. The first half does not have so many emotions. The second half of the film was superb," said Roma, who enjoyed the show with her family.

Though the word "Baabul" in Hindi means 'a bride's father' the film revolves around a father-in-law, played by Bachchan, who looses his son in an accident and about his struggle to bring joy back in the life of his daughter-in-law.

Directed by Ravi Chopra, the film also stars other well-known actors of Bollywood, like Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, John Abraham and Om Puri.

The Hindi film industry, valued at about $1.75 billion in 2006, is forecast to nearly double to $3.4 billion by 2010, according to estimates by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC).

Every release of Bachchan, the 63-year-old film legend, gets hyped and expectations run high among viewers and analysts, alike.

The actor has done over 150 films, playing rebels, smugglers and vigilantes in a series of anti-establishment roles in the 1970s and 1980s.

He now plays more mature roles, many of which are specifically written for him.

The "Big B", as he is known, was voted in a 2002 BBC Online survey as the most popular screen and stage icon of all time, ahead of Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness.