Four distinct films release this weekend – Machine, Aa Gaya Hero, Trapped and Mantra. However, unlike releases in the last few weeks [Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Jolly LLB 2], one doesn’t expect beeline of audiences at the Box Office on the Day One itself.

The opening numbers are expected to be low for these films as it would all boil down to how word of mouth spreads by the time evening shows commence.

Machine is the biggest of them all and it is expected that yet again, Abbas-Mustan would have some tricks up their sleeves in terms of the thriller elements. Somehow, that hasn’t been conveyed in the promos and one wonders if that has been intentional on part of the makers to let the surprise element take over. Nonetheless, all of this means that the Mustafa and Kiara Advani starrer would have to wait and watch for the day to come to a close, before seeing a surge in collections on Saturday and Sunday in case audiences give it a thumbs-up and then bring on momentum.

Trapped with Rajkummar Rao in the lead has an interesting subject to boast of (that of a man trapped in his own apartment) and one expects favorable reviews to come its way. That would go some way in ensuring that the film brings in some collections. However, even that would be primarily on the remainder of the weekend as Friday would primarily go in assessing how good an entertainer it actually is.

Aa Gaya Hero, the film which has been in the making for long and sees Govinda making a comeback as a leading man, is an out and out massy film on the lines of 90s masala potboiler cinema. The film is primarily for the interiors and there too it would have to make a quick impression amongst the gentry to get the moolah flowing. Absence of a known leading lady or a chartbuster song means the film would have to entirely rely on Govinda’s face on the poster.

Mantra is the fourth release of the week with Rajat Kapoor and Kalki Koechelin in the lead. The film is arriving without any promotion whatsoever and to add to that it is also in English. That would have a telling on its overall collections as targeted promotion could have actually helped its cause.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

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