It Ends With Us is based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The film begins just like any other love story based on a romantic book. The humour is lovely and the chemistry between the leading actors is electrifying. But soon, the film goes into a different territory and it makes for a gripping watch. It raises an important issue and the traits and toxic behaviour are shown most realistically. A few scenes are unconvincing and even the way it ends is not digestible. Blake Lively (Lily Bloom) looks stunning and delivers a terrific performance. Justin Baldoni (Ryle; also the film's director), however, is the best performer in the movie. There are times when you'll be floored by him and in the next scene, you'll despise him and how. Brandon Sklenar (Atlas) lends able support. Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter also deserve special mention for playing young Lily and young Atlas respectively. Jenny Slate (Allysa) is adorable. All in all, It Ends With Us is worth watching for its theme and performances. The film has taken a surprise opening and hence, please book your tickets in advance.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

AURON MEIN KAHAN DUM THA, ULAJH FLOP BADLY; NEW HOLLYWOOD RELEASE, LAILA MAJNU MIGHT SURPRISE

Last week’s releases, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and Ulajh, had a horrible performance in cinemas, sending shockwaves in the industry. Everyone expected Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha to have a tough time but the hope was that it would open more than Sarfira (Rs. 2.50 crores) or in the same range. However, it opened at just Rs. 1.65 crores. Now, it was crucial for the film to have a 100% jump on Saturday. It would have not made the film a hit but at least, it would have had a respectable lifetime. Sadly, word of mouth was very poor. Hence, it collected Rs. 1.75 crores on Saturday and Rs. 1.85 crores on Sunday. It’s holding at around Rs. 55 lakhs on the weekdays and will have the first week collections of just Rs. 7.25 crores. Ideally, this should have been the first-day earnings of the film!

It now remains to be seen if Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha manages to cross the Rs. 10 crore mark. Ulajh, meanwhile, opened at just Rs. 1.15 crores. It jumped to Rs. 1.65 crores on Saturday and by collecting Rs. 1.95 crores on Sunday, it edged past Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha’s third-day collections. Ulajh is now collecting around Rs. 50 lakhs on the weekdays and will collect around Rs. 6.25-6.50 crores in the first week.

The holdover releases like Deadpool & Wolverine, Bad Newz etc. aren’t collecting as much and hence, it’s a tough time for theatres. To tide over this bad time, the Multiplex Association of India is once again celebrating Cinema Lovers Day on Friday, August 9. As part of this celebration, the tickets will be sold for Rs. 99 on Friday and Rs. 199 on Saturday and Sunday. Earlier, Cinema Lovers Day got a huge response but that won’t be possible this time.

Yet, a small Hollywood film will manage to bring some smiles to the exhibitors. It Ends With Us releases tomorrow with paid previews happening today. And the advance ticket sales have pleasantly surprised one and all. Usually, such small Hollywood romantic films have a very niche audience. But It Ends With Us has generated excitement. The audience is aware that tickets have lower prices over the weekends. Yet, the urgency is such that the paid previews, which have normal rates, are fast-filling. If the paid previews + day 1 collections are Rs. 1 crore, it’ll be a great result for the film and then it’ll hang around in cinemas for many weeks.

The other Hollywood release Borderlands might also get some footfalls. The new Hindi releases – Ghuspaithiya and Aliya Basu Gayab Hai – will sink without a trace.

Lastly, Laila Majnu will have a re-release tomorrow across India. It bombed badly when it was released in 2018 but over the years, it has achieved a cult status. Last week, it was released in Kashmir and drew house full crowds. Hence, it is expected to have a similar performance tomorrow, with lower ticket prices also proving to be an advantage.