Vidya Balan's "Kahaani" seems to have a struck a chord with the audiences in a big way as the gripping thriller has entered its third week and is still proving to be a crowd puller. The film not only defies the new box office mantra of "focus on first three days' box office collection", but also proves that the actress has a long way to go.

The film earned Rs.43.05 crore since its release March 9.

Director Sujoy Ghosh made it at a budget of Rs.8 crore and the collections show that it's a bumper hit of the first quarter of the year. The second week breakup goes like Rs.2.5 crore Friday, Rs.4.7 crore Saturday, Rs.4.9 crore Sunday, Rs.2 crore Monday, Rs.1.75 crore Tuesday, Rs.1.6 crore Wednesday and Rs.1.5 crore Thursday.

"Generally, most films register a 50 percent to 70 percent decline in the second week, since the screen count is fair/massive these days, but the decline in this case was around 25 percent, which is simply remarkable, " tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

"Kahaani" has also proved wrong those who said that Vidya Balan's "The Dirty Picture" triumphed because it was full of skin show. Despite no skin show and no glamour, "Kahaani" has rocked the box office, thanks to Vidya's powerful performance, the storyline and Ghosh's deft treatment to the script.

In the film, set in the backdrop of Kolkata, Vidya plays a software programmer, who comes to the city from London in search of her husband, who is the father of her unborn child. The thriller also features Bengali actor Parambrata Chatterjee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in prominent roles.

The film was promoted extensively, but it is word of mouth that has played a vital role in making the film a money-spinner at the box office in the second week, says Anant Verma, business head and director, DT Cinemas.

"Apart from good content, word of mouth publicity has lead to the film doing wonders at the box-office, " Verma told IANS.

"Moreover, there has been a lot of hype around Vidya Balan as she swept away all the awards for her portrayal in 'The Dirty Picture'. There is still a lot of curiosity among people, " he added.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan also admits that the business for "Kahaani" has been much more than expected.

"The success of 'Kahaani' reinforces the fact that content is the king. The film has done an exceptional business. After 'The Dirty Picture', a certain kind of image was created in the minds of people about Vidya, but she instantly broke the mould with 'Kahaani'. Her acting is being really appreciated in the film, " said Mahajan.

Despite the release of "Agent Vinod", Verma is expecting occupancy of over 85 percent in the third week too.

"The film ran with packed theatres in the second week and now as the exams are over, more people will come to watch the film. We are expecting occupancy of over 85 percent in the coming week, " he added.

The actress has proved that the success of "The Dirty Picture" was no flash in the pan and that she can carry any role with aplomb. "Paa", "Ishqiya", "No One Killed Jessica", "The Dirty Picture" and now "Kahaani", Vidya's winning streak continues.