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OSO, Saawariya going strong: Exhibitors
11 Nov 2007, 0141 hrs IST,TNN
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NEW DELHI: The Bollywood rumour mills were busy on Friday with the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om and Ranbir Kapoor’s Saawariya . Insiders claimed that enquiries had already begun for OSO’s next week’s plan, another called up to say that multiplexes in Delhi were getting cancellation calls for telebooking tickets.

However, Arjit Dutta, an exhibitor from Kolkata, maintained that the initial reaction of both the films is very strong. “OSO has an advantage, but one can’t write off Saawariya just because the first reaction is a tad slow.”

An exhibitor from Gujarat pointed out that though reviews on the internet may have damaged Saawariya’ s prospects at the box office, it was a foregone conclusion that OSO would make more money. He offers numbers to back his theory: OSO released with 1,400 prints worldwide , Saawariya with 850 prints. “The net amount per print the distributor of the film will earn will be something between Rs 3 and 4 lakh. So, OSO will be definitely bigger at the box office.”

However, Vikramjit Roy, spokesperson of Sony Pictures, when contacted, said that the film had got an overwhelming response. “We are very bullish about it. The box-office for the first day is estimated at Rs 19 crore.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels otherwise. “The initial response to OSO is superb and at this rate the film, like most of Shah Rukh Khans films, will be one of the biggest hits of the year. But Saawariya h as been rejected by the audience. Although it has got the advantage of being a Diwali release, by Monday onwards the film will definitely crash at the box office.”