This Friday's releases, Dum and Kucch To Hai, have a strong youthful look and theme. Both have grown in image over time. Initially, both seemed small films targeted at the youth market.

Dum is budgeted at Rs 90 million and is produced by the Moranis who made Arjun, Raja Hindustani and Damini. For director E Niwas, who rose from the ranks of an office boy at Ram Gopal Varma's production house to director of two contrasting films Shool and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega for Varma, the leap into cinema outside homeground is of considerable importance.

In many ways, he stands at the same threshold as Dum protagonist Uday Shinde (Vivek Oberoi). Like Niwas, Shinde is a simple, middle class boy who dreams of making it big. Dum is the first of many cop movies this year. The director describes it as a mass-oriented action flick with a pounding score by composer Sandeep Chowta.

Kucch To Hai's songs (packaged by Anu Maliik) and choreography are already successful among home audiences. It is a slasher film in the tradition of Hollywood's I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream. Niwas says I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of his favourite films and would love to see what producer Ekta Kapoor and her two directors Anurag Basu and Anil V Kumar have done with it. Kapoor is quick to point out that her film is not a remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer, "though every slasher film would have similar elements."

Budgeted at Rs 140 million, Kucch To Hai started as a small film, but grew in proportion with Tusshar Kapoor's career as leading man. Shot in Switzerland (standing in for Shimla) and featuring an interesting cast, including Esha Deol, Ekta and Tusshar Kapoor's father Jeetendra and Rishi Kapoor, Kucch To Hai conveys a glittering ambience which its Friday rival cannot equal. The setting and events in Niwas' film are purely middle class.

The USP of Dum is its leading man Vivek Oberoi who, after Saathiya, has become one of the hottest actors in Bollywood. The fair success of Saathiya and the craze that Oberoi's working class hero role generated has added a sheen to Niwas' action-packed tale.

Last week's releases Dil Ka Rishta and Jism showed us the boundaries of star power. People thought Aishwarya Rai, with her Devdas magic behind her, had an edge in Dil Ka Rishta. But it was Bipasha Basu whose Jism got the audience all warmed up.