By Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM
The much-awaited BHAGAM BHAG hasn’t opened to the desired response. The industry was expecting a 90% + start for this comic caper, but the film started on a 50% note and by evening, the average occupancy was 60%-65% at several screens.
Ashtavinayak, who have produced and distributed the film in Mumbai territory, have released 152 prints [287 screens, includes Digital prints], while UTV, who have acquired the film for an exorbitant price [4 +] for Delhi-U.P., have released 92 prints [118 screens].
The opening in both Mumbai and Delhi was around 65%, while certain stations of Uttar Pradesh behaved much better. Have a look at the Friday collections:
* Lucknow: Sahu 1,14,394 [full], Novelty 68,386;
* Agra 1.5 lacs;
* Aligarh 1.4 lacs;
* Meerut [full];
* Dehradun 77,000 [approx.].
In Delhi, the film got a boost since biggies like DHOOM 2 and KABUL EXPRESS hadn’t been released at multiplexes and the ones that had released weren’t doing brisk business. BHAGAM BHAG is the first masala film to hit the multiplexes in Delhi and surrounding belt after a gap and the evening shows were slightly better.
* Single screens:- Big B – 42,200; Madhumilan – 54,200; Kastur – 65,000.
* Multiplexes:- Velocity – 47,500; Inox – 70,000; PVR – 1,30,000; Adlabs – 87,000.
Bengal was slightly better at multiplexes, while South was not as expected!
The silver lining is its 4-day weekend [Christmas on Monday] and the first four days are expected to be bountiful [as rightly pointed out in our review]. But the real examination will begin from Tuesday onwards. Will BHAGAM BHAG sustain? Or will this heavily-priced film run out of steam?
Source: 
