'Fashion', 'Golmaal' set box office on fire

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Much-hyped and awaited movies "Fashion" and "Golmaal Returns" that released Wednesday, a day after Diwali, have set the cash registers ringing - with the latter even breaking some records.

While last year's Diwali release "Om Shanti Om" and "Saawariya" had a neck-to-neck tussle with the latter proving to be a debacle, both movies released this year are faring well.

"Both films are faring exceptionally well at the box office. Content wise 'Fashion' is for upper crust audiences and is attracting youngsters, 'Golmaal Returns' is for the masses," Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan told IANS.

"However, as per the current statistics, the reaction for 'Fashion' is going at around 70 percent, while 'Golmaal Returns' has fallen to 50 percent. Stay wise, the former is a long-term movie and the initial reaction for it has been 100 percent," he added.

Girish Johar, associate VP, UTV motion pictures that produced "Fashion", echoed this, adding: 'Fashion' has done fabulously well and it has been the biggest opening for a Madhur Bhandarkar film ever. We are very happy and the audiences are loving the film. It is doing bigger and better than its other counterparts. We are sure it will get audiences for at least the next five weeks."

Starring Priyanak Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, debutante Mugdha Godse, Arbaaz Khan, Arjan Bajwa and many of the Who's Who of the style fraternity, "Fashion" is a take on the Indian fashion industry.

"Golmaal Returns" is a sequel to the 2006 hit comedy "Golmaal". The film is about a couple whose married life takes comical twists and turns when the husband gets stuck for a night on a yacht with a beautiful woman.

Directed by Rohit Shetty, it stars host of actors including Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora, Anjana Sukhani and Paresh Rawal.

In terms of budget, producers Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Limited invested around Rs.330 million in "Golmaal Returns", UTV Motion pictures' "Fashion" was made on a budget of Rs.190 million and is said to be Bhandarkar's costliest film till date.

"Fashion" had already recovered half of its costs - around Rs.8.5 million - from in-film advertising through its sponsors and endorsements from brands like Lenovo, Sunsilk, Reebok and Kimaya even before it released.

Distributed by TV 18 network, "Golmaal Returns" released with 1,000 prints worldwide for 1,400 shows while "Fashion" hit the screens with around 700 prints worldwide and collected 40,000 pounds on its opening day in Britain.

"We are expecting to earn Rs.400 million in the first week. The movie collected 40,000 pounds in Britain on the first day itself. It also broke records in Chitra Cinema in Mumbai where it is booked for the nine days. Exhibitors in north India have earned more than Rs. 1 million on first day. It is faring exceptionally well at single screens across the country," said a spokesperson for Ashtavinayak.

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