One of Bollywood's most respected publicists, Dale Bhagwagar, predicted that Om Shanti Om will surpass all box office expectations over Saawariya.  | Rabir Kapoor in Saawariya |
Dale said, "I doubt if Saawariya can give competition to Om Shanti Om and hope it's not a case of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's over confidence versus Shah Rukh Khan's star power. Because such a game, if lost, can give a jolt to the industry," Dale had feared that such unjustified competition between a debutante and a megastar could result in mega-shocks. Decidedly, Om Shanti Om is now a much stronger product, while Saawariya is already facing criticism on the directorial front, after its premiere last week in New York. It can be noted here that Bhansali has always made films with very big stars. While Khamoshi starred Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam had Salman, Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles. Bhansali went one step ahead with Devdas with it's unusual casting coup with Shah Rukh Khan pairing up with Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya, while Black had the inimitable Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherji leading the cast. This is the first time that Bhansali took up the mantle of being a star-maker, by launching new faces Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, along with Salman and Rani in special roles. "If Saawariya was postponed for another week, it could have stood a better chance. I wonder why its makers couldn't see the crisis coming," said Dale. He explained, "PRs build perceptions, but perception-building is not the only aspect required for a film. The hype for Saawarya has been tremendous, but it seems Sanjay Leela Bhansali not only over-rated his product but miscalculated its overall acceptance by the audience."
During its opening weekend, Om Shanti Om has shown collections reaching over £350,000 by entering the UK top 10 charts at number seven. News feed by Manish Gajjar
BBC Bollywood Correspondent | 
