Salman can't muscle this one!

Bharati Dubey

The year-long break since Salman Khan's last film, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke has done nothing for the box office prospects of Tumko Na Bhool Payenge.

The film has opened to an average of 85 per cent in Mumbai and lower in other metros. Sold at an average of Rs 20 million per territory, there is little hope the film will sustain itself at the box office.

Based on Hollywood's The Long Kiss Goodnight, Indianised by Salman himself, the script fails to hold interest. Director Pankaj Parashar seems to have concentrated only on visuals and special effects, ignoring the content of the film.

There is not much chance that Sushmita Sen or Diya Mirza will help improve the prospects of the film. Tumko Na Bhool Payenge will do average business at the box office, since it has no competition this week.

Bobby Deol's Kranti releases March 8. But it stands little chance at the box office, as it does not carry good reports. Directed by Naresh Malhotra, it is the story of a father (Vinod Khanna) and son (Bobby Deol), both police officers. Both honest, their approach towards work differs. The film also stars Amisha Patel.

Incidentally, the latest releases of Vinod Khanna (Deewanapan), Bobby Deol (Ajnabee) and Amisha Patel (Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar) were disasters.

The Abhishek Bachchan-Karisma Kapoor-Akshay Kumar starrer, Haan... Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, was a disaster, opening at 62 per cent and slipping further down.

It is still Vikram Bhatt's Raaz which rules the box office. The film raked in 90 per cent business in its second week.