The past week saw a variety of new releases. `The Attack On Ghazi’, was a rare war film for the Indian audiences and an underwater film about war between an Indian and Pakistani submarine, Ghazi. The film, based on the 1971 war, was painstakingly made.

The other film, `Irada’ --- film’s title did not reveal much about the product --- was on an ecological problem faced by the State of Punjab as some vested interests involved in reverse boring draining water and causing ground water to turn poisonous for farm lands as well as for drinking purposes.

The third was the usual run of the mill romantic comedy about a couple on the run.

Though ‘The Attack On Ghazi’ emerged as the best of the three releases at the box office, it was not enough as the film registered just over Rs. 1 crore or Rs 10 million on its opening day. The film deserved much better and the initiative to attract more footfalls should have rested with multiplexes, which could consider reducing the admission rates for this kind of film that is made with sincere intentions.

The film narrates a chapter from Indian history, not very far long, though. If multiplexes increase admission rates at will with big star cast films, reducing the rates for a film like `The Attack On Ghazi’ is the least they can do to promote honest cinema.

The film deserved entertainment exemption but many States did not do so under election’s model code of conduct and the film stayed deprived of this advantage. The film showed a decent rise on Saturday in collections doing better on Sunday to end its opening weekend with Rs. 6.6 crore or Rs. 66 million (excluding Telugu and Tamil versions).

`Irada’, a film with a message on environment, takes the thriller route to present and make interesting the issue of how ecology of the bread basket of India, Punjab, was compromised. The problem with the thriller part, that is the investigations, is that you just witness conclusions and not told how they were arrived at. Also, if the film really wanted to take the message across the States, the use of heavy Punjabi language could have been avoided.
The opening day collections as well as the weekend remained very poor. The film collected approximately Rs. 60 lakh or Rs. 60, 00000 for its opening weekend.

`Running Shaadi’, a routine love story about a couple in love on the run, fails to convince on counts of comedy as well as romance. Launched a couple of years back, the film did take its own time hitting the screens. Another drawback is that the film is almost entirely in Punjabi language. To what purpose one can’t fathom?
The film is poor all over from one day one. The film fell far short of even Rs. 1 crore or Rs 10 million mark and collected Rs. 70 lakh or Rs. 70, 00000 for its first weekend.

`Jolly LLB 2’ that had a tepid opening response picked up on Saturday and Sunday. Though the film dropped on Monday, it had a healthy Tuesday, thanks to Valentine’s Day. Being a solo release in the comedy genre, it maintained Rs. 10 crore or Rs. 100 million per day average to end its first week with Rs. 72. 1 crore or Rs. 721 million. It will get some benefit in its second week in the absence of any strong film releases.
`Raees’ added Rs. 2.1 crore or Rs 21 million for its third week, taking its three-week tally to Rs. 130.4 crore or Rs. 134 million.

`Kaabil’ collected Rs. 3.8 crore or Rs. 38 million in its third week taking its three week total to Rs. 92.2 crore (Rs. 922 million).

`Dangal’ comes at the end of its glorious run. The film added about Rs. 50 lakh (Rs. 50, 00000) in its eighth week, taking its eight-week total to Rs. 387.9 crore or Rs. 3879 million.