Batman goes laughing to the bank

Will 2008 go down in box office history with two completely different films creating records that have managed to beat the recessionary trends in industry?

On the one hand, there is Hollywood which has already witnessed a new record first-day opening with 'The Dark Knight' raking in $67.3 million at the box office.

And on the other hand there is Bollywood on the brink of a bonanza with the runaway hit 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' pitched to become one of the biggest hits of the year with a three-week gross of Rs 37 crore. And the two films have simply nothing in common, except the stupendous response they have managed to elicit amongst the 'aam janta'.

Batman's new adventure which has a staggering production cost of $180 million has created a furore that has already outstripped the frenzy created by 'Spiderman 3' . Spidey's third adventure in 2007 had the highest opening day record till now with collections measuring upto $59.8 million.

But the Joker's histrionics seem to have taken the world by storm, which is queuing up for a taste of Heath Ledger's mindblowing interpretation of Batman's arch rival. This post 9/11 'agent of chaos' - that's what he calls himself - might just end up as the biggest anti-hero of all times. In the 'Dark Knight' , he is already walking away with most of the applause, leaving the superhero to walk away into the horizon, even as the film concludes with an ambiguous end.

The Joker signs off with a maniacal grin, dangling against the skyline of Gotham City. Sadly, he may return, but minus the mesmerism of Heath Ledger.

Closer home, 'Jaane Tu' ...has managed to strike a chord with the burgeoning youth population of cine-goers with it's twenty-something look, lingo and longings. Till now, the box office record for love stories featuring a lead pair is held by the Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia teen romance, 'Bobby'. The 1973-film has an adjusted gross of Rs 85 crore.

While Imran Khan's 'Jaane Tu' might not be able to match this figure, it could well cross the record earnings of ' Maine Pyar Kiye' , the all-time blockbuster which is the second highest earner in this category. The Rajshree film which introduced Salman Khan and Bhagyashree in the classic rich boy-poor girl story grossed Rs 67 crore in its silver jubilee run.

The other two popular first-timer romances are 'Love Story' (Kumar Gaurav and Vijeyta) and 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' (Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla). Although the film seems to have taken the metros by storm, with maximum impact in Mumbai and Mysore, the smaller towns haven't been too ecstatic, according to box office reports.

This could be one of the reasons why 'Jaane Tu' might not be spoken in the same breath as Bollywood's blockbuster romances: 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' (Rs 110 crores), 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' (Rs 98 crores), 'Raja Hindustani' (Rs 83 crore). But the film has already overtaken last year's hot love story, 'Jab We Met' , which reaped a rich haul of Rs 30.59 crores at the box office.