Kaante eyes $1 million in the US

The desi movie market looked up in North America as Sanjay Gupta's Kaante entered its third week. The film grossed a healthy $813,000 in two weeks, just as Deepa Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood ended an eventless run in America.

Going by the desi box-office tradition, Kaante, shot extensively around Los Angeles, lost about 50 percent of its clout in its second weekend. Even with the attrition, the film stands a good chance of reaching $1 million. The movie would have made much more money but for the persistent complaint that it is too violent.

Many viewers in New York and New Jersey cinemas said the film has very little appeal to the families, and they would recommend their friends to see it on video. There is no question of paisa vasool as far as families are concerned, said several men.

In Britain, the film has done disappointing business. It grossed about $330,000 in two weeks and will have to struggle hard to reach $400,000.

Shaad Ali's Saathiya, which was released the same day as Kaante, had a disappointing run on both sides of the Atlantic. It is quite possible its distributor might argue to the contrary since it was not a very expensive film. The movie is heading for a $150,000 to $170,000 gross in North America and $200,000 in Britain.
 
Another film to perform below expectations is Deepa Mehta's romantic comedy, Bollywood/Hollywood. One would have expected that, following its popular run in Canada, it would be a hit in America, too.

In Canada, the movie caught the attention of mainstream