Christmas progress report

This time around, four new films were released for Christmas- Baba Kalyani, Palunka, Smart City and Notebook and the audience has given a mixed verdict.

Of these films, the firsts to hit the theatre were Bala Kalyani and Suresh Gopi's Smart City. Frankly, nobody was happy with the way Photographer turned out at the box office. Even hardcore Mohanlal fans couldn't stand the film. Shaji Kailash was very well aware that he had to make a film that would appease the fans who were disappointed by the superstar's previous film.

A lot of hype preceded the film's release. And just to make sure that the film doesn't get affected by piracy, it wasn't released in other states. But that doesn't seem to have helped much, thanks to all the publicity that surrounded the film. Baba Kalyani however is poised to make profits from all its 60 release centers.

Suresh Gopi's Smart City was nothing different from any of his previous films. And this is also being reflected in the box office performance of the film.

Blessy's Palunka with Mammooty was the much-awaited release this season. Like all his previous releases, Kaazcha and Thanmatra, the film has opened to slow collections. But industry experts predict that the film's collections will pick up fast.

Udhayananu Tharam was Roshan Andrews' first film. After a very long absence, he returned with Notebook, his new film starring newcomers in the lead roles. The first film was a super-mega-hit at the box office. The second film's box office prospects look very, very bleak.

Speed Track and Kanakasimhasanam will join the list of films soon.