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Hum Tum: Saif's first solo hit abroad?
By Arthur J Pais
June 03, 2004

Hum Tum might turn out to be Saif Ali Khan's first solo hit abroad.

The romantic comedy, co-starring Rani Mukerji, is currently No 7 at the UK box-office.

It is No 21 at the US box-office.

With an above-average opening in the two key overseas territories, Hum Tum looks set to be a medium-size hit.

In the UK, the film took a $220,000 three-day weekend gross.

In North America, it took $348,149 during the four-day Memorial Day weekend.

But the Memorial Day weekend, one of the most lucrative times for movies in America, didn't bring cheers for Yuva.

Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer plunged by about 75 percent in its second weekend, going from the 21st spot to 49th place.

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Most Hindi films fall by about 50 percent in the second week.

After grossing $49,000 in four days, Yuva took its total to $280,000.

Apparently, Ratnam had not looked at the second week figures of Yuva in North America and the UK when he asserted that his film had done very well abroad.

But Yuva is likely to end its run in North America and the UK with a decent $600,000.

The North American box-office was led by Shrek 2, which grossed an awesome $95.5 million in its second week, taking its 12-day total to $260 million.

In the UK, where Shrek 2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban are yet to open, The Day After Tomorrow led the weekend box-office. The disaster movie seized about $12 million on 429 screens.

Hum Tum was shown on some 23 screens in the UK. Desi movies with a bigger star cast are usually shown on about 40 screens in the UK.

In North America, Hum Tum opened on 43 screens. If the movie, which apparently has a bigger appeal to younger audiences, doesn't follow in Yuva's steps, it could earn a handsome $1.3 million in the next four weeks before it starts on a short secondary run in smaller American cities.

The film to beat remains the Shah Rukh Khan hit, Main Hoon Na.

Farah Khan's directorial debut has grossed about $3.8 million in North America and the UK. That could be a big challenge for Farah's first cousin Farhan Akhtar, when his film, Lakshya, opens on June 18.

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Arthur J Pais
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