Raavan' releases today but surprisingly the hype preceding the release of the film has been quite minimal when compared to the tradition.

However, there hasn't been much interest level amongst the audience if the buzz for the last one month is any indication.

Call it the surreal feel of the film, courtesy the look of Abhishek Bachchan, the songs which despite being good aren't aided by flattering picturisation, the fan base of the Bachchan pair which hasn't seen much escalation over the years or the overall product that has been unsuccessful in pitching itself as the summer blockbuster that audience could be rooting for - the fact remains that 'Raavan' hasn't created a frenzy yet.

Worse, the promos have been out and out unimpressive except for the first 30 seconds teaser that had thankfully managed to bring in some attention.

However, post that, the promotion of this Mani Rathnam directed film has only gone downhill which means that a very good start can't really be expected here. Moreover, the failure of 'Kites' has impacted the reputation of Big Pictures which are the makers of 'Raavan' as well.

Since the film of this scale requires a 70%-80% start and a positive word of mouth to stay afloat at the box office, this appears to be a definite challenge for 'Raavan'.

What works in favour of 'Raavan' though is the fact that it sees a solo release for itself. Since the week gone by too didn't see any notable release, the ground is clear for 'Raavan' to make a big mark if it is indeed liked.

In case of that happening with good word of mouth spreading amongst audience, critics, industry and trade, there couldn't be anything better for the makers here because the ground would be open for 'Raavan' to play on all by itself. Also, next week there is no new release scheduled, which means 'Raavan' has a fortnight all for itself.

The million dollar question is if 'Raavan' is indeed the entertainer that would entice audiences in dozens? Fingers crossed here because as of now, the film definitely appears to be a gamble which could go either way.