The film industry and movie buffs are pinning their hopes on Shah Rukh Khan to deliver the next big hit of the year with the upcoming "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", the advance bookings of which have been "terrific".

"The response for bookings is terrific, " Sanjeev Kohli, director and CEO of Yash Raj Films, the production company behind the film, told.

According to a source from multiplex chain PVR, the bookings for "Rab Ne...", which has a running time of three hours and 46 minutes, are much better than the past few releases.

"The situation has been quite gloomy in the past weeks except for bookings for 'Dil Kabaddi'. So, we are looking forward to this film ('Rab Ne...'). It might be a saviour in these times and be the next hit of this year, " the source said.

Most multiplexes like PVR and Satyam have reserved multiple auditoriums and time slots for the screening of the film and are receiving a positive response for advance bookings.

This, despite the fact that advance bookings opened for all theatres just Wednesday.

"We delayed the advance booking date to synchronize with the multiplex advance booking day, which is Wednesday, " Kohli explained.

"Rab Ne..." is a story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh Khan and newcomer Anushka Sharma who find true love in the backdrop of a dance competition.

It is being released worldwide at over 1, 200 screens, including approximately 300 prints for the overseas market. Apart from being Shah Rukh Khan's first release this year, "Rab Ne..." is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra combination film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" in 1994 and for "Mohabbatein" in 2000.

Film critic Anupama Chopra says everyone has "great expectations" from this film.

"I am a fan of Aditya Chopra's style of candyfloss and romantic movies. I hope Aditya and Shah Rukh Khan create the same magic that they did with 'Dilwale...'. It will be interesting to see them create another iconic figure with this film after they popularised Raj (Shah Rukh's character in 'Dilwale...'), " Anupama Chopra said over phone from Mumbai.

Though the production house has tried to keep the storyline of the film under wraps, it has constantly emphasised that the film is about an ordinary man.

Anupama Chopra says she is curious to see how Shah Rukh Khan, who has mostly essayed larger-than-life roles with a stylised persona, would be able to carry off the image of an everyday man.

"He has played that look in 'Chak De! India' and 'Swades' but 'Rab Ne...' is a romantic film. I am very curious to know how he does in the film, " she said.

Two of the film's songs "Haule haule" and "Chance pe dance" are already ruling the charts.