The verdict is in - yet another second-time director has failed to live up to the standards set by his debut.

Filmmaker John Mathew Matthan's "Shikhar" has been panned by critics, and according to the first week's collections, it has bombed at box-office as well.

Matthan, who bowled over the Hindi film industry with his critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut "Sarfarosh" (1999) that starred Aamir Khan, is in for a setback with his second outing.

Though the Ajay Devgan-Shahid Kapur starrer is a sincere endeavour, its narrative is too preachy, say critics. The fact that the film was advertised as the second movie by Matthan made matters worse.

Matthan joins the not-so-envied club of directors who have tasted defeat in their much hyped second coming. Sujoy Ghosh and his latest venture "Home Delivery" top this list.

The film starring Vivek Oberoi, Boman Irani, Ayesha Takia and Mahima Choudhary was among the last few releases of 2005. Though its sleek promos fetched it good initials, the film could not sustain interest.

In a recent poll, "Home Delivery" was voted the worst film of 2005. For the maker of the laugh-riot "Jhankaar Beats" in 2003, the absolute rejection of the film was a surprise.

Ghosh's debut "Jhankaar Beats" won over the youth for its urban humour. Since then he has announced two projects but both were shelved, making "Home Delivery" his true test of talent.

He puts it best when he says the greatest challenge to his second film was the success of his first low-budget venture.

Scores of first time successful directors have failed to meet expectations raised by their debuts. Farhan Akhtar being one of the often-quoted examples.

Mostly, they are directors who hit gold with films made on shoestring budgets and then got too ambitious with their second film, say trade observers.

They signed on big stars and hoped to attract mass audiences with storylines and narratives that are essentially meant for niche multiplex cine-goers, they add.

On the other hand, some directors learn from their mistakes and come up with better products the second time around. Apoorva Lakhia had a disastrous start in the form of the Abhishek Bachchan starrer "Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost".

Though an unconventional film, it failed to click due to a poor screenplay and script. In his second film, "Ek Ajnabee", Lakhia played it safe.

The Amitabh Bachchan starrer is said to be a remake of Hollywood's "Man on fire" and its DVDs are selling like hot cakes.

"If the first film is a hit, the trade says it could be a fluke. If the first is a flop, then they are willing to give a second chance," says Lakhia.

Another director who got lucky a second time around is Rohan Sippy, currently riding high on the success of his latest venture "Bluffmaster".

Rohan from the illustrious Sippy family debuted with the forgettable "Kuch Naa Kaho" in 2003. Two years later, he decided to stick to Abhishek Bachchan and came up with a cool flick.

Though "Bluffmaster" is not a blockbuster, it is making enough money, thanks to its soundtrack, to keep the makers more than happy. "Bluffmaster" has a better looking and more relaxed Abhishek than in "Kuch Naa Kaho".

Then there are some directors who do not learn from mistakes. Arjun Sablok narrowly missed winning the crown for making the worst film of 2005. His "Neal 'N' Nikki" was made three years after "Na Tum Jaano Na Hum" but he showed no signs of lessons learnt.

It remains to be seen whether 2006 will turn out to be luckier for scores of young directors.

The year 2006 could mark the return of Bollywood stalwarts beginning with Rajkumar Santoshi.

After a long hiatus, the director who enjoys immense goodwill in Bollywood, especially from old production houses like Ramsay, returns to the silver screen with "Family - Ties Of Blood".

The film is the launch pad for producer Keshu Ramsay's son Aryeman in the company of Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.

Bachchan essays the role of a suave gang lord who will go to any extent to protect his family comprising wife Shernaz Patel and son Sushant Singh.

Akshay Kumar, who plays a chef and leads a cosy life with wife Bhumika Chawla and younger brother Aryeman, heads the other family in the film.

The two diverse families get entangled by a twist of fate.

The film about these two warring families is set for release Jan 12.

The screen space will be cramped in the week ahead. Yet another Sanjay Gupta film, "Zinda", is slated for release alongside the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Family - Ties Of Blood".

For the umpteenth time, Gupta has teamed up with Sanjay Dutt for a film that is said to be a hard-hitting movie extensively shot in Bangkok.

Gupta had also directed "Kaante" and "Musafir" with Sanjay in the lead.

"Zinda" stars another hot and happening star John Abraham.