Teen Patti: gamble gone wrong, Karthik calling only at plexes

Farhan Akhtar���s Karthik Calling Karthik opened well at the multiplexes but did not show any rise in the business over the weekend. While Farhan Akhtar certainly has gained a fan-following as an actor post Rock On, the excitement isn���t as huge at the box-office. Business at single-screens is comparatively dull.
The other release, Leena Yadav���s Teen Patti has surprisinglygot avery weak opening for an Amitabh Bachchan film.Especially when the film had high hype surrounding it with Ben Kingsley a gambling setting, one expected the business to be at-least average as against the dismal performance the film has had at the box-office. Perhaps the negative reviews kept the audiences away. Business certainly won���t improve in coming days.
Even, My Name is Khan has somewhat fizzled out and business is surely not as strong as Aamir Khan���s 3 Idiots was in its successive weeks.

With IPL starting from March 12 and the cricket craze catching up the nation, producers ready with their films, are hurrying up their releases before the big event begins. That���s because releasing films during IPL is suicidal and delaying release till it gets over (April end) would account to huge losses.
So the coming Friday sees as many as five releases. The biggest amongst them is Ajay Devgn���s Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? and Abhay Deol���s Road, Movie. The comic flick Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is looking promising with good pre-release reports. Abhay Deol���s Road, Movie has already bagged honours are several international film festivals and has an interesting theme of a moving theatre troupe.
A horror film Rokk starring Tanushree Dutta and Udita Goswami will also release this Friday. Irfan Kamal���s Thanks Maa, another film revolving around street kids after Slumdog Millionaire, is another small film which has won awards at several international film festivals. Reema Lagoo���s daughter Mrunmayee Lagoo will make her Hindi film debut with Hello Zindagi.

Film: Karthik Calling Karthik
Position: 1
Director: Vijay Lalwani
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone
Upside: Taut thriller, good performances, intelligent direction, breezy music, technically well-made, smart climax
Downside: Almost nothing
Running Week: 1
Trade Comments: Thefilmis clearly catering to the multiplex audiences and is doing steady business in metros. But theirs is no excitement at the box-office like a Rock On had.
Indiatimes Rating: *** �� (Read Review)

Film: My Name is Khan
Position: 2
Director: Karan Johar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Upside: Noble theme, decent direction, strong performances, comprehensive look on victimized Muslim issue yet not intense or dark, technically good
Downside: Too long, not new with much of it already seen in recent films
Running Week: 3
Box-Office Verdict: Average to above average especially for its high cost.
Indiatimes Rating: *** �� (Read Review)

Film: Teen Patti
Position: 3
Director: Leena Yadav
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, R Madhavan, Shraddha Kapoor, Siddharth Kher
Upside: Decent performances, interesting theme, good cinematography
Downside: Logically absurd, repetitive gambling episodes, dull music, becomes abstract at times, dull cameos and redundant Raima Sen romance track
Running Week: 1
Trade Comments: Surprisinglythe film had a very weak opening for an Amitabh Bachchan film which had high hype surrounding it. Perhaps the negative reviews kept the audiences away. Business seemingly won���t improve.
Indiatimes Rating: ** �� (Read Review)

Film: Toh Baat Pakki
Position: 4
Director: Kedar Shinde
Cast: Tabu, Sharman Joshi, Vatsal Sheth, Yuvika Chaudhary
Upside: Good comic act by Tabu and Sharman Joshi, funny one-liners, good comedy
Downside: D��j�� vu effect of several popular romantic flicks, clich��d climax
Running Week: 2
Box-Office Verdict: Flop
Indiatimes Rating: *** (Read Review)

Film: Click
Position: 5
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Sada, Sneha Ullal
Upside: Inventive climax
Downside: Bad remake of a Thai horror flick, exaggerated and old-fashioned in-you-���face��� horror, technically shoddy, dull direction
Running Week: 2
Box-Office Verdict: Flop
Indiatimes Rating: ** (Read Review)