Last week's releases -- Shikara and Hacked -- got very contrasting reviews and yet, shared the same poor fate at the box office.
Malang, starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor and Kunal Kemmu, fared average.
Vinod Mirani gives us the weekly box office verdict.
Malang
Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor and Kunal Kemmu.
Director: Mohit Suri.
What works: Anil Kapoor, slick photography, good music.
What doesn't: A witless thriller.
Number of weeks: New.
Box Office verdict: Average.
Shikara
Cast: Adil Khan and Sadia.
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
What works: The first such portrayal of Kashmiri Pandits' story on the big screen.
What doesn't: The nuances of the issue are somewhat overshadowed by individual stories of the characters.
Number of weeks: New.
Box Office verdict: Flop.
Hacked
Cast: Hina Khan, Rohan Shah, Mohit Malhotra and Sid Makkar.
Director: Vikram Bhatt.
What works: Hina Khan looks gorgeous, and will be a treat for her fans.
What doesn't: Meandering scenes, too long, poor execution.
Number of weeks: New.
Box Office verdict: Flop.
Jawaani Jaaneman
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Alaya F, Kubra Sait, Chunky Panday, Kumud Mishra, Farida Jalal, Kiku Sharda.
Director: Nitin Kakkar.
What works: Good performances, refreshing humour.
What doesn't: Its last-minute turnaround is disappointing.
Number of weeks: 1.
Box Office verdict: Below Average.
Happy Hardy and Heer
Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Sonia Mann.
Director: Raka.
What works: Music.
What doesn't: Everything else.
Number of weeks: 1.
Box Office verdict: Flop.
Gul Makai
Cast: Reem Shaikh, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Om Puri, Arif Zakaria Mukesh Rishi, Abhimanyu Singh, Pankaj Tripathi.
Director: Amjad Khan.
What works: The subject.
What doesn't: Weak narrative, direction, half-baked effort.
Number of weeks: 1.
Box Office verdict: Flop.
Panga
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Jassi Gill, Richa Chadha, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi.
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.
What works: Good performances, well-directed.
What doesn't: Lacks depth and surprise.
Number of weeks: 2.
Box Office verdict: Average.
Street Dancer 3D
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, Prabhu Deva.
Director: Remo D'Souza.
What works: Prabhudeva's dance.
What doesn't: Cardboard character, same old, same old.
Number of weeks: 2.
Box Office verdict: Average.
Jai Mummy Di
Cast: Sunny Singh, Sonnalli Seygall, Supriya Pathak, Poonam Dhillon.
Director: Navjot Gulati.
What works: Catchy songs like Lamborghini and Mummy Nu Pasand.
What doesn't: Story is neither interesting nor engaging.
Number of weeks: 3.
Box Office verdict: Flop.
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior review
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Jagapathi Babu, Kajol, Sharad Kelkar.
Director: Om Raut.
What works: Visually impressive, terrific 3D, technically slick.
What doesn't: Needless songs, one-note narrative, takes too many creative liberties.
Number of weeks: 4.
Box Office verdict: Hit.
Vinod Mirani is a veteran pundit on the Bollywood box office.
