After Effects: 'Ram Leela' inching towards Rs 100 crore club

While 'Singh Saab The Great' and 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' have opened to a tepid response at the box office

To begin with, mildly speaking, the past weekend's collections at the box-office didn't inspire awe. Or business.

Only two Hindi films released along with an equal number of Hollywood counterparts. None of the four registered stunning figures. Slow remained the key word throughout.

While Singh Saab the Great managed a bigger haul than Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, it was average at best. According to trade analyst Komal Nahta, Bollywood had a disappointing weekend.

`The Sunny Deol-starrer grossed about Rs 14 crore while the Imran Khan-Kareena Kapoor film barely crossed Rs 9.5 crore. Both the films have been made at a budget north of Rs 42 crore so for a first weekend, the numbers are dismal,` says Nahta.

Lack of buzz might have done considerable damage to Gori Tere Pyaar Mein. `The idea for a KJo film is to grab as many eyeballs as possible. But in this particular case, that wasn't what happened. Friday dragged, Saturday picked up a bit and Sunday was bit of a breezer. Similarly, director Anil Sharma hasn't created the magic he did with Sunny in Gadar more than a decade ago,` points out Amod Mehra, trade analyst, before adding, `That said, Singh Saab is doing better in small screens than at multiplexes.`

On the contrary Ram-Leela gained traction even in its second week and is said to be heading towards the fabled Rs 100 crore club. `I think it'd be extraordinary for Ranveer Singh because he hasn't been part of a Rs 100 crore film before. Deepika (Padukone) is a regular member of the so-called club now,` adds Nahta.

Exhibitor Rajesh Thadani sums up the week as disappointing overall. `There was a cluster and maybe that's why none of the films could come up as sole winner. We can't blame Hollywood either because both Last Vegas and Battle of the Year were both dismal at the box-office,` sums up Thadani.

On the coming Friday, Saif Ali Khan-starrer Bullett Raja will go head-to-head with two Hollywood animation films: Frozen and Delivery Man.