Filmkraft is a long established banner with many blockbusters behind it like Karan Arjun, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish and the formula used is the worm that turns to achieve success. The majority of the films from Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) onward use the formula which has almost the perfect graph for a film where initially the protagonist (protagonists in Karan Arjun) suffer but then in the second half they revolt and just before the climax there is a low for the protagonist before the final victory. But the problem is the worm that turns formula has come unstuck with an outside director. Kites with outside director was not exactly the formula but the film graph was similar and Kaabil with outside director is the formula but twice the worm did not really turn like it should have as far is results are concerned.

The films that worked with the formula are a class apart from the likes of Kites and Kaabil from storytelling to characterization to music to entertainment with Kaabil coming worst off because at least Kites had some production values for an initial which Kaabil did not have. The problem is that Rakesh Roshan is a commercial blockbuster director and the formula is used with the padding of a Hindi commercial film but Anurag Basu films are off beat if not bit arty and Sanjay Gupta generally makes underworld crime films so despite the winning formula being there the implementation is not there. Kites was a nothing film while Kaabil despite having the formula is eventually a crime film and due to the presentation it may relate in Mumbai but North has little chance making numbers hard as you need both on board for a good box office number.

The box office fate of Kaabil also shows how the media and most parts of the industry and on a different wave line to the public. The reports on the first day were saying one thing but the raving and 4 / 5 stars were flying all over the place and actually on a couple of days it looked like the reports may be wrong but the public is never wrong. It was just the odd release day and holiday playing haywire with the collections and a low Sunday told all.

The film reminds of Shivaay not just in box office results but also content which was on the darker side and on top coming off second best in a clash though Shivaay lost by lower margins but that is not due to the film but as Kaabil had a tougher opponent. It will do lifetime business in the Shivaay range which was 85 crore nett