They are calling the Big Bollywood Buffet. With over Rs 140 crore riding on the new releases in December and January, there is something for everybody on the menu.

The Who’s Who of tinsel town, read Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, John Abraham , Abhishek Bachchan, Akshaye Kumar, Govinda, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherji, Priyanka Chopra and Vidya Balan, would be competing for the season’s biggest box office draw.

Says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “With Rs 140 crore at stake, there is a major release every week. The audience is really going to be spoilt for choice.”

The fest started Friday with the Amitabh Bachchan- Salman Khan- Rani Mukerji starrer Babul. A family drama, from the stables of BR Films, Babul is a story of a father-in-law who wants to see his widowed daughter-in-law married again. Bachchan feels it’s an important film for the society, “It’s a very progressive thought and I think the story needs to be told,” he says.

Next up is Yash Raj Films’ Kabul Express which is a dramatic travelogue of two journalists sent on an assignment in war-torn Afghanistan. While there is also Mani Ratnam’s Abhi n’ Ash-starrer Guru up for release and Arjun Rampal’s home production, I See You, the big news of the season is the great return of Govinda. First up, he’ll be sharing the screen with Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan’s comic caper Bhaagam Bhag and then he’ll be one of the starlights in Nikhil Advani’s potential blockbuster Salaam-e-Ishq.

Interestingly, all this winter rush is complete role reversal. Traditionally, these months were considered inauspicious for business. “December-January was never so crowed. It was believed that films won’t do well in the north because of the cold wave,” adds Adarsh.

This trend can also be attributed to the sea change that’s sweeping through Bollywood. With big houses spearheading multiple productions at one go, there are suddenly too many films. “Moreover, with so many multiplexes, everybody can enjoy the party,” says trade guru Amod Mehra.

Indeed, the rules of showbiz have changed. With the opening weekend trend catching on—Dhoom 2 was declared a blockbuster two days after its release—it’s become a producer’s market. Currently, the BO is on an upswing. Recent hits like Vivaah and Dhoom 2 have spread smiles all over.

So what are you waiting for, book your tickets now.

* Dec 15: Kabul Express
* Dec 22: Bhaagam Bhaag
* Dec 29: I see you
* Jan 5: The Blue Umbrella
* Jan 12: Guru
* Jan 24: Salaam-e-Ishq

source:expressindia