Monday,
July
10,
2006
New
Delhi
(UNI):
The
first
half
of
the
year
has
been
an
exceptional
one
for
the
film
industry
with
three
superhits
in
a
row
in
the
last
one
month
alone
in
Fanaa,
Phir
Hera
Pheri
and
Krrish,
a
rarity
in
the
recent
history
of
Bollywood.
The
three
big
hits
in
the
last
five
weeks,
coupled
with
hits
like
Rang
De
Basanti,
Malamaal
Weekly
and
Gangster
and
several
above
average
grosser
like
36
China
Town,
Taxi
No
9211,
Tom
Dick
and
Harry
and
Chup
Chup
Ke
in
the
past
five
months,
makes
it
an
excellent
first
half
of
the
year
for
Bollywood
in
terms
of
box
office
collections,
in
fact
one
of
the
best
in
recent
times.
The
stupendous
box
office
response
to
Kunal
Kohli's
Fanaa,
which
has
grossed
over
Rs
90
crore
since
its
release
on
May
26,
Neeraj
Vora's
Phir
Hera
Pheri,
which
has
already
grossed
nearly
Rs
30
crore
in
two
weeks
since
its
release,
and
Rakesh
Roshan's
Krrish,
which
has
earned
a
whopping
Rs
69
crore
in
its
opening
week
itself
has
rejuvenated
the
spirits
of
the
film
industry
which
had,
till
only
a
month
ago,
been
witnessing
a
gloomy
scenario
with
a
majority
of
films
before
Fanaa,
Phir
Hera
Pheri
and
Krrish
getting
a
lukewarm
response
from
the
cinegoers.
''The
first
half
has
been
exceptionally
good,
particularly
the
last
few
weeks
which
have
witnessed
Fanaa,
Phir
Hera
Pheri
and
Krrish
wowing
audiences
in
a
big
way,
breaking
all
previous
box
office
records''
film
analyst
Komal
Nahata
said.
Trade
analysts
say
three
hits
in
a
month
[Fanaa
released
on
May
26
while
Phir
Hera
Pheri
opened
two
weeks
later
on
June
9
and
Krrish
on
June
23]
is
a
rarity
in
the
recent
history
of
the
film
industry.
''But
for
these
three
hits,
the
first
six
months
would
not
have
presented
such
a
rosy
picture,''Nahata
said.
What
is
specially
heartening
for
the
film
industry
is
the
fact
that
after
a
long
time,
audiences
are
turning
out
in
large
numbers
to
the
cinema
halls
which
is
evident
from
Fanaa,
Phir
Hera
Pheri
and
Krrish
drawing
either
full
houses
or
near
full
houses
not
only
in
their
opening
weekends
but
also
subsequent
weeks.
Even
four
weeks
after
its
release,
Fanaa,
starring
Aamir
Khan
and
Kajol,
continues
to
rock
the
box
office
and
break
box
office
records.
Similar
is
the
case
with
Phir
Hera
Pheri,
the
sequel
to
the
successful
Hera
Pheri.
The
comedy,
now
in
its
fourth
week,
continues
to
draw
huge
crowds
of
cinegoers.
Another
unique
feature
of
the
success
of
these
films
is
that
they
have
been
drawing
full
houses
in
both
single
screen
halls
as
well
as
multiplexes,
something
that
has
been
quite
rare
in
recent
years
with
films
either
doing
well
in
multiplexes
or
single
screen
halls.
Analysts
say
that
the
recent
theory
of
"multiplexes
are
where
the
business
is
today" was
disaproved
by
Fanaa
which
did
exceptionally
well
largely
due
to
its
good
showing
in
single
screen
cinemas.
For
example,
the
film
earned
nearly
Rs
2
crore
in
West
Bengal,
solely
due
to
its
collections
at
the
single
screen
cinemas.
In
fact,
trade
analysts
say
the
success
of
Krrish
gave
a
new
lease
of
life
to
cinemas
in
small
centres
of
the
country
as
for
the
first
time
in
so
many
years
collections
for
the
superhero
film
at
these
centres
hit
the
ceiling.
Also
remarkable
was
the
fact
that
both
Fanaa
and
Krrish
saw
a
huge
rush
for
advance
bookings
with
tickets
being
booked
at
least
a
week
to
ten
days
in
advance
in
the
case
of
Krrish.
In
fact,
it
has
been
the
first
time
in
recent
years
that
a
Bollywood
film
has
witnessed
such
a
huge
rush
for
advance
bookings.
At
a
time
when
the
film
industry
was
fervently
praying
for
hits,
the
super
success
of
the
three
films
has
rejuvenated
the
spirits
and
revived
an
ailing
industry,
analysts
say.
That
good
times
are
back
for
the
film
industry
is
evident
from
the
fact
that
the
combined
gross
of
the
three
films
alone
till
the
end
of
the
first
half
of
the
year
comes
to
nearly
Rs
200
crore.
And,
with
"much-in-the-news" films
like
Karan
Johar's
Kabhi
Alvida
Na
Kehna,
Rajkumar
Hirani's
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai,
Farhan
Akhtar's
Don,
Sanjay
Gadvi's
Dhoom
2,
Sajid
Nadiadwala's
Jaaneman,
J
P
Dutta's
Umrao
Jaan
and
Ravi
Chopra's
Babul
to
follow
in
the
coming
months,
2006
may
well
be
the
best
year
for
Bollywood
in
a
long
time
as
far
as
box
office
earnings
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