Around the World Box Office Roundup

It was the first time this year an Indian movie, the romantic action drama Om Shanti Om led the foreign box office.

As the rest of the world saw the box office sag before the holiday movies hit full swing, India awoke and supplied the globe's two top grossers for the weekend.

The second most populous nation celebrated Deepavali (or the Hindu Festival of Light) over the weekend, which sent most people to the cinemas.

The romantic action drama Om Shanti Om led the way with $18.2 million from 17 markets. It was the first time this year an Indian movie led the foreign box office. The picture tabulated an estimated $15.5 million in its native land while also grabbing $1.1 million from just 52 screens in the United Kingdom.

In second place was the musical Saawariya, which made $13.3 million over the weekend from 12 territories, with $12.4 million of that coming from India alone.

In third place, Lions for Lambs grabbed $10.3 million from a near worldwide launch. While failing to top the charts in nearly all of its markets, the war drama mustered a decent collective opening that was relatively better than its American debut, but suggested a sub-$50 million finish. In Australia, it nabbed a second-place $840,740 from 248 screens and ranked sixth in Germany ($1 million from 300 screens) and the U.K. ($1.4 million from 404 screens).

Conor Bresnan, BoxOfficeMojo.com

Om Shanti Om ahead of Aamir Khan's Rang De Basanti

Six-pack Shak Rukh and dazzling Deepika have won over Calcutta Inc. Going into Week Two, Om Shanti Om — on track to break many a box office record, if the first week is any indication — has set a new benchmark for block bookings.

Almost 20 companies queued up at the two INOX multiplexes in the first week to buy tickets in bulk for Farah Khan’s tribute to the 70s. Week Two will be even better with 19 companies snapping up seats for their employees at INOX Forum and City Centre as soon as advances opened on Wednesday. The number looks set to cross a score by the time the reels roll on Friday.

“The response to Om Shanti Om from corporate houses is unprecedented. Even in the second week, the number of block bookings hasn’t dipped,” says Vikas Syal, the regional general manager of INOX.

The scene is no different at the other multiplexes. “The number of bulk bookings for Om Shanti Om in the first week has been extremely encouraging. In the second week, too, we have a number of companies queuing up,” says a spokesperson for Fame.

The demand for a dose of OSO magic spans the corporate spectrum — from banks to telecom companies to financial institutions. The block booking figures has thrust OSO ahead of Sanjay Dutt-Vidya Balan period piece Parineeta and Aamir Khan’s Rang De Basanti, which also had corporate houses buying seats in bulk.

The corporate boost at the box office for OSO has left Saawariya out in the cold. The much-hyped Sanjay Leela Bhansali film is a distant second with five block bookings at the two INOXes for Week Two.

“Saawariya may have drawn individuals and small groups in the first week, but it is nowhere close to Om Shanti Om in terms of block bookings,” confirms Syal of INOX.

TheTelegraph.com

SRK + Diwali + Big hype = Big bucks!

The volume of business that the two films -- Om Shanti Om and Saawariya -- did from Friday to Sunday clearly indicates that the market has grown [and continues to grow] manifold.

The booty amassed by Om Shanti Om especially proves that SRK + Diwali + big hype = big bucks!

But once the initial hype settles down, it's the content that does the talking. Let's look at what the actual scenario is, as on this date…

Om Shanti Om opened to huge numbers. The first weekend was incredible and post-Monday, it continues to gross 75%-85% collections. Now that's an achievement! In today's times, the actual examination begins on Monday. A fabulous start for a film that has been released with excessive prints is akin to winning half the battle, but if the film maintains the pace [40%-50% +] on weekdays [Monday to Thursday], it indicates that the film is on its way to become a big grosser.

A section of the industry was of the opinion that Om Shanti Om might totter from Monday onwards, given the fact that too many prints were in circulation to encash on the Diwali vacations, but Om Shanti Om continued its glorious ride on Monday [85% +], Tuesday [75% +] and Wednesday [70% +].

The guessing game has begun. Will Mumbai cross 15? Or 17? [distributor’s overall share]. Will Delhi-UP be 10? Or 12? Or 14? What about Overseas? What will the theatrical as well as non-theatrical revenue be? It’s a tad too early to jump at figures, but one thing is crystal clear -- Om Shanti Om ranks amongst SRK’s biggest hits. The figures corroborate that, don’t they?

The Lullas of Eros, who acquired the rights for a phenomenal amount, haven't stopped laughing ever since Om Shanti Om released. Their confidence in the film paid off and how!

Now let's look at Saawariya. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a brand and coupled with the fact that it stars two star-kids and was timed during Diwali, the opening numbers were truly impressive at most places. But the reports being negative went against the film. The reactions of cinegoers on all prominent TV channels on Friday were an eye-opener. I've to admit, the common man is a much harsher critic than most critics these days.

And the cracks started showing as days progressed. While the first weekend numbers were generally good, the film fell from Monday onwards. Not just at single screens, but also at multiplexes. In fact, the negative word of mouth reflected in the box-office collections as even multiplexes came down to 20%-30% collections on weekdays. Now that's quite a fall!

SLB is going around town bad-mouthing the media for the negative reviews his film has garnered. SLB is truly a genius, a great film-maker [I maintain that, despite his caustic comments against me in a leading daily], but I'd request him to visit any movie hall close to his residence/office and check the occupancy himself.

Also, if you cannot face the heat, don't enter the kitchen. In today's times, from a car that hits the roads to a toothpaste that's launched to a dosa in a dining place -- everything gets reviewed in newspapers/TV channels/Internet.

Saawariya is the creation of a master film-maker and was bound to be scrutinized by the media. So why this hullabaloo?

Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM

Shah Rukh calls Deepika the star of OSO

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is credited with the healthy box-office run of "Om Shanti Om”, has attributed the film’s success to debutant actress Deepika Padukone.

Khan, 42, is seen in every frame of the film either pulling off hilarious antics or flaunting his six-pack. His shirtless song-and-dance sequence has been one of the main reasons behind the film’s success.

The actor, however, says the main attraction of the film is his co-star Padukone, a model and daughter of India's renowned badminton player Prakash Padukone.

"Om Shanti Om" is the story of a struggling junior actor who is killed. He is reborn to become a star who goes on to seek the killer and his lady love (Padukone) from the previous birth.

"The star of the film is Deepika. She has done a great job in the film. We all tried to outdo her by our performance but she has managed to beat us all," Khan said during an event held late on Wednesday in Mumbai.

"Her acting in the film is excellent and she has the potential to become a great actress in the future."

Seven days into its release "Om Shanti Om" is still running to packed theatres across India. Analysts say the popularity of Bollywood's most bankable actor will see the film set new records in box office collections.

in.reuters.com

SRK's special treat on Children's Day

Shah Rukh Khan and the Om Shanti Om gang were at Mumbai’s Gaity cinema hall to attend a special show organised for underprivileged children.

"I love children and wanted these children to see the film because it has humourous angles too. We keep on doing such events for children,” said Shah Rukh.

"It was amazing spending time with these children. As a child I was very good in sports,” said Deepika Padukone.

A smile on the kids’ faces, stars in their eyes and getting to see Shah Rukh Khan in person: surely, they couldn’t have asked for a better Children’s Day party.

IBNlive.com

SRK Bids for IPL Franchise

Among the top names doing the rounds for responding to the BCCI's offer of franchise for owning cricket teams in the IPL are Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul. The media has already reported a list of interested bidders who include Anil Ambani and Vijay Mallya.

"Shah Rukh Khan has bid for a franchise," a top BCCI official has told IANS.

The official has also stated Paul as one among the 90 bidders.


Mumbai, the game's hub and home to the BCCI headquarters, and Delhi, where the board was formed in 1928, are amongst the big favourites with bidders.

Meanwhile, PTI has reported that the BCCI has ruled out any current player from having "a stake in a company owning any of the teams." Incidently, a leading business daily had reported that Sachin Tendulkar was in talks for a joint bid with the Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group.

A final decision on the teams, the league format and other related issues would be taken up at the IPL governing council meeting on 17 November in Jaipur.

IPL will comprise 56 matches in Twenty20 format. It has already pocketed many of the world's top cricketers like Australia's Shane Warne and Glenn McGarth, South Africa's captain Graeme Smith, New Zealand's Stephen Fleming and Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf.

IPL will feature eight teams, with each playing home and away games against the others. After the league matches, the top four teams will play in the semi-finals with the grand final scheduled towards April-end.

Each franchise/team will have a squad of 16 players registered with the BCCI and drawn from its central contract pool. Each team will also feature under-21 players and those from the BCCI's annual contract.

IndianTelevision.com

Bhansali's Vitriolic Attack on Shah Rukh Khan

Sanjay Leela Bhanshali seems to have stoked a dormant fire by lashing out against his critics after getting hit by box office blues.

It’s a feud that is spiralling out of control. If you thought that the Saawariya-OSO war would die down with the release of both the films, you got it wrong. In fact the fires have been stoked anew with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s vitriolic attack on Shah Rukh Khan in his media interviews post Saawariya.

After SRK announced a few days before Diwali that he would ‘destroy’ the competition, (read ‘Saawariya’), Bhansali has come back with a vengeance, saying SRK had no locus standi to make such comments, and that it was unfair to put down a work of art.

“This is the new era of marketing a film, where even after it has released, the war will continue. Bhansali is obviously hurt by the negative comments that have been made against him and his film and that is why he is coming out in its defence,” says one industry source.

The makers of OSO however do not seem very keen to take this further. When we sms-ed Farah Khan asking for her reaction, she gave us a very tongue-in-cheek reply saying, “I have no reactions whatsoever. Too busy taking congratulatory calls.”

Not everyone is very happy though. Film critic Taran Adarsh, who also found a mention in Bhansali’s tirade is in no mood to sit back and listen.

“I want to tell Bhansali that he should wake up and smell the coffee. If there is a theatre near his house, he should go and count the number of people who are even sitting in the film, let alone liking the film. People have a mind of their own. They don’t need Taran Adarsh to tell them that Saawariya is a bad film and has been rejected by everyone.”

Strong words those. Obviously, we haven’t heard the last of this yet. Its going to be a long drawn out war.

Shilpa Jamkhandikar, DNAindia.com
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Sanjay Leela Bhansali says SRK has no rights to destroy 150 people!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has come out fighting in defense of his movie Saawariya, and at the top of his target list is… Shah Rukh Khan.

As Om Shanti Om runs away with the top accolades for the Diwali battle, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has gone on record to ask the Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan some very awkward questions. “Shah Rukh Khan is the king of Bollywood. He can say whatever he likes. But why is he going around saying, ‘I will destroy them?' Where is the dignity of the reigning superstar? Why compare yourself to a film with two newcomers? Who are you to destroy them? Have you created them? Do we eat off your plate? Have we made the film with your money? What gives you the right to say you will destroy 150 people who have invested so much in the film? Let people judge. It's a film with good values, and principles, people should appreciate that,” said an angry Bhansali last night.

He then went on to express his disappointment further, “You feel disappointed. We decided that we'll maintain a certain dignity and not pull each other's films down. But then he started making comments like he will destroy us.”

When asked about the success of Om Shanti Om, Bhansali responded, “I feel that acting is not about six-packs but I've never said it until now. Why ‘destroy' us? It's time for new cinema, cricketers, politicians. Let the newcomers like Ranbir come in. Shah Rukh Khan will remain a king. Just because People love (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, it doesn't mean they will forget Sachin (Tendulkar).”

Maybe positioning Saawariya against Om Shanti Om was not a good strategy, “I've got a big opening. No other filmmaker would've got that against a Shah Rukh Khan film, and it's a big deal. We got the biggest opening for an Indian film with newcomers in the lead. Anyway, why compare two completely different films? My films are about art, and OSO is about commerce. People are walking out of OSO too, so why are we only talking about people not liking Saawariya? There is an agenda to this,” responded Bhansali positively.

When asked about why critics such as Komal Nahta and Taran Adarsh blasted the movie, Bhansali responded, ““Only a handful of critics are trying to influence the audience against the film…Komal and Taran belong to the cinema of the eighties, they are antiquated and I never expected them to understand ‘Saawariya'. Great cinema should be kept away from such reviewers.”

Rajiv Dutta, IndiaTarget.com

Brangelina and SRK rub shoulders in Dubai

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is set to join Dubai's swelling celebrity ranks next year when he takes up residence in a property on the emirate’s Palm Islands.

The star of blockbuster Om Shanti Om was given the keys to his house three months ago, according to Indian press reports. The actor’s wife, producer Gauri Khan is said to be heading to Dubai later this month to oversee work on interiors.

The property is said to be a gift from Dubai’s ruler, as the actor acts as unofficial brand ambassador for the islands, Sawf.org reported.

The three Palm Islands, located off the Dubai coast in the Persian Gulf, are the world’s biggest man-made islands, based on the biggest land reclamation project in the world. The project will increase Dubai’s shoreline by 120 kilometres.

Celebrity site Ahlanlive reported yesterday that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had bought their own private Island within Dubai’s ‘The World,’ which they intend to turn into a showpiece for environmental issues.

Out of reach from Paparazzi lenses, the islands are a haven of privacy for celebrities, accessible only by boat. Also hoping to avoid the public glare with Dubai properties are David Beckham, Tom Cruise, Sir Richard Branson and Rod Stewart.

ArabianBusiness.com - UAE

King Khan Performs for Cricket Teams

The King Khan performed for the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams yesterday (November 12) at a gala event organised by Subroto Roy Sahara of the Sahara Group, triggering speculation over whether Shahrukh Khan had taken the place of the Big B who till recently was the biggest endorser of the Sahara camp. And just where was one-time close friend and confidante Amar Singh?

Meanwhile Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh today (November 13) took jibes against the Sahara Group and also lashed out at Shahrukh Khan, reacting to the reports published in a national newspaper.

The report quoted a top executive of Sahara as saying, "Only family members and not outsiders" were allowed at the recent Sahara function in Lucknow.

An angry Amar Singh reacted today saying it was up to the media to "read between the lines" and that it was Shahrukh Khan who started the verbal duel when he made nasty comments against him at the Filmfare awards last year.

"I have read in Mumbai Mirror that the Director of Corporate Communication has said that only friends and family was invited not outsiders- if Sahara has made this statement it is for you read between the lines," said Singh.

He went on to "put on record", "I have don't have anything against Shahrukh Khan. He made a comment against me in a Filmfare function. He might be a superstar and a rockstar, but I have also got some North Indian foolish supporters who reacted angrily on that. I am sorry about that. Shahrukh gave a statement that his kids had felt very bad about that - even my kids are Shahrukh fan - when they heard his statement they asked me, why Shahrukh 'uncle' was talking against me that way.

"Thereafter he is keeping mum, I am also keeping mum, I do not have any issue with him because he is not joining SP, and I am not going to join Bombay Film Industry.," said Singh to TIMES NOW.

Shahrukh Khan danced the night away on Monday (November 12) at Sahara City in Lucknow - a Dawat -e-Dosti organised by the head honcho of the Sahara Group, Subroto Roy Sahara. While the evening was a gala one with celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment, it was not so much the guest list as the people excluded from it that set tongues wagging.

While Shahrukh was given superstar treatment with a private jet and a personal invite, one-time confidante of the Subroto Roy Sahara, SP leader Amar Singh and 'Big B' Amitabh Bachchan were conspicuous by their absence.

Though representatives of the Sahara Group have been quick to brush aside the Big B's absence claiming he was busy - but we can't help but wonder whether a new order is in a place - and is Shahrukh the new poster boy for the Sahara group?

TIMES NOW managed to catch up with BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla, who was also present at the gala, for his take.

"They (Sahara) are the Team India sponsors, Sahara had invited Mr Shahrukh Khan and he was gracious enough to be there," said Shukla.

But while everyone may be doing their best to pooh-pooh the reports - it wouldn't exacztly be a bolt out of the blue, considering rumours have been afloat for sometime now of an alleged falling-out between the Sahara family and Amar Singh and a consequent distancing from the Bachchans as well.

Well, evidently in the world of politics and entertainment, relationships rarely last forever!

TimesNow.tv

King Khan Invited To Open Indian League

According to reports published in a local daily, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been invited to open the inaugural I-League in Goa on November 24th by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

zoom - galleria King Khan is yet to accept the invite though. The idea of roping in a celebrity as big as the ‘21st century Don’ is to increase attention towards Indian football.

Shah Rukh Khan recently turned heads towards hockey with his ‘Chak De India’ and the AIFF hopes his presence will benefit the people’s game.

Meanwhile, the winners of this year’s I-League may receive an extra 10 lakhs this year, in addition to the existing prize of Rs.40, 00,000.

The prize money for every game is also likely to be increased.

AIFF had conducted a day-long seminar on the I-League for the top brass officials from the participating clubs.

Indian national team coach Bob Houghton opined that the top clubs who are part of the I-League must distance themselves from the local leagues, which must be run for the U-21 and youth teams.

The suggestion didn’t go well with the Kolkata clubs who believed that it could lead to problems with the sponsors and directly affect the crowds.

The AIFF was to release the fixtures list yesterday but now it has been postponed to Friday.

It is believed the Kerala Football Association (KFA) wants to move Viva Kerala’s matches from Kochi to Kozhikode on the grounds of poor conditions.

An AIFF team shall inspect the ground before taking any decisions on the matter.

Rahul Bali, Goal.com