The year 2008 was suposed to follow in the footsteps of 2007, which had seen some very good films. As the first few months went by, it became apparent that there were not many hits in the offing. While some movies did turn out to be hits, others which were expected to do good business could not meet box-office expectations. But most disappointing was the fact that a majority of the releases were complete duds. Some hit releases in 2008’s first half include Rajat Kapoor’s mob comedy, Mithya, Ashutosh Gowariker’s Mughal Era extravaganza, Jodhaa-Akbar and Abbas-Mustan’s sleek stew, Race with its heady mix of horses, cars, babes and storyline twists. So why did these movies do well, while their counterparts sank at the BO? “It is the content that worked. A lot of people were sceptical about the film’s success, since it was a historical. But fabulous performances, music and the correct marketing made it a hit,” feels Siddharth Roy Kapoor, whose production house brought out Jodhaa-Akbar . But there was a bigger cause as to why even those movies who could have done well, flopped: the IPL. “Movies such as U, Me Aur Hum and Bhootnath could have done well. But the IPL ensured otherwise,” says trade analyst, Taran Adarsh. ... read more »