'Chandramukhi' fails to check 'Aaptha' appeal

Bangalore, May 5 (IANS) Rajnikant-starrer "Chandramukhi" has opened to A wonderful response in Bangalore and Mysore. Still, the popularity of "Aaptha Mithra" has not waned.

1. "Aaptha Mithra": The film continues to make record collections in Bangalore.

Vishnuvardhan has once again proved his star value and appeal.

2. "Varsha": Also a Vishnuvardhan-starrer, the film by director S. Narayan is showing signs of becoming a big hit thanks to continued patronage by female audiences. Trade circles feel this remake of Malayalam hit "Hitler" will do even better in the coming weeks.

It has amassed some Rs.5 million in the first week alone. Collections are reported to be extraordinary in the Mysore-Mandya-Hassan, Davanagere-Chitradurga-Bellary and northern Karnataka distribution areas.

3. "Akash": A Puneet Raj Kumar film after a long gap, "Akash" was bound to be lapped up by the youth. Released in the last week of April, nearly six months after the release of Puneet's last film "Mourya", the film directed by Mahesh Babu has won acclaim for performances of Puneet and Ramya.

4. "Ayya": The film will be completing 100 days soon. It has once again proved the mass appeal of action films starring Darshan. Directed by Om Prakash Rao, the film recovered its cost of production in the first three weeks.

Though not as big a hit as the earlier Darshan-Rakshitha-starrer "Kalasi Palya", 'Ayya' has certainly established the box-office credentials of Both stars.

5. "Rishi": This Shivaraj Kumar-Vijaya Raghavendra-starrer, directed by Prakash, has completed 100 days in Bangalore. Though the film received good reviews, it has not done as well as expected. It cannot be in the list of successful films, as its cost of production was huge.