This writer was the sole reviewer to point out that KABUL EXPRESS would face an uphill task in U.K. and U.S.A. because of its anti-Pak flavor. With Pakistanis forming a major chunk of movie-going audience in these two countries, any film with an anti-Pak stance gets ignored by this section of the audience, which results in the business getting affected. That’s precisely what happened to KABUL EXPRESS.
The first weekend collections of KABUL EXPRESS in U.K. and U.S.A. have indeed come as a rude shock. What’s surprising is that Yash Raj has had two solid hits in 2006 -- FANAA and DHOOM 2 -- and one expected at least a face-saving start for KABUL EXPRESS.
If you go by numbers and screen average, KABUL EXPRESS is Yash Raj’s lowest opener in U.K. The weekend collections are even lower than NEAL ‘N’ NIKKI, one of the weakest films produced by the premier banner.
In the U.S. too, KABUL EXPRESS is better than NEAL ‘N’ NIKKI, but way below the other Yash Raj releases. Sad!
Have a look at Yash Raj’s U.K. and U.S.A. charts below for a comparative study.
Whatever its fate in India, BAABUL continues to be the current favorite in U.K. The second weekend is fantastic and at the rate it’s faring, it should easily find a place in the Top 10 list of 2006 [in U.K.].
Weekend: December 15 – 17, 2006.
U.K. BOX-OFFICE
- BAABUL [last weekend: No. 8, this weekend: No. 11]: In its second weekend, the film has collected £ 167,214 on 44 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 3,800. Total: £ 599,174 [approx. Rs. 5.23 crores].
- KABUL EXPRESS has debuted at No. 14 position. In its opening weekend, the film has collected £ 49,203 [approx. Rs. 42.96 lacs] on 24 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 2,050.
YASH RAJ FILMS IN U.K.
| FILM | OPENING WEEKEND [£] | SCREENS | AVERAGE [£] |
| Kabul Express | 49,203 | 24 | 2,050 |
| Dhoom 2 | 415,701 | 51 | 8,151 |
| Fanaa | 300,563 | 37 | 8,123 |
| Neal 'N' Nikki | 60,075 | 25 | 2,403 |
| Salaam | Namaste | 208,365 | 34 | 6,128 |
| Bunty Aur Babli | 149,640 | 30 | 4,988 |
| Veer-Zaara | 484,993 | 60 | 8,083 |
| Dhoom | 61,838 | 25 | 2,474 |
| Hum Tum | 131,741 | 23 | 5,728 |
| Saathiya | 41,951 | 20 | 2,098 |
| Mujhse Dosti Karoge | 204,490 | 32 | 6,390 |
| Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai | 70,492 | 21 | 3,357 |
| Mohabbatein | 246,368 | 26 | 9,476 |
- DHOOM 2 [last weekend: No. 14, this weekend: No. 18]: In its fourth weekend, the film has collected £ 34,782 on 25 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 1,391. Total: £ 1,108,309 [approx. Rs. 9.67 crores].
- VIVAH [last weekend: No. 42, this weekend: No. 57]: In its sixth weekend, the film has collected £ 1,164 on 2 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 582. Total: £ 261,369 [approx. Rs. 2.28 crores].
- CHENNAI KADHAL [Tamil; last weekend: No. --, this weekend: No. 58]: In its second weekend, the film has collected £ 1,095 on 2 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 548. Total: £ 5,737 [approx. Rs. 5.01 lacs].
- UMRAO JAAN [last weekend: No. 51, this weekend: No. 76]: In its seventh weekend, the film has collected £ 269 on 2 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 135. Total: £ 415,004 [approx. Rs. 3.62 crores].
THIS WEEKEND IN U.K.
[Based on screen averages]
| RANK | FILM | AVERAGE |
| 1 | BAABUL | £ 3,800 |
| 2 | KABUL EXPRESS | £ 2,050 |
| 3 | DHOOM 2 | £ 1,39 |
| 4 | VIVAH | £ 582 |
| 5 | CHENNAI KADHAL [Tamil] | £ 548 |
| 6 | UMRAO JAAN | £ 135 |
U.S.A. BOX-OFFICE
- KABUL EXPRESS has debuted at No. 28 position. In its opening weekend, the film has collected $ 142,591 [approx. Rs. 63.96 lacs] on 50 screens, with the per screen average working out to $ 2,852.
YASH RAJ FILMS IN U.S.A.
| FILM | OPENING WEEKEND [$] | SCREENS | AVERAGE [$] |
| Kabul Express | 142,591 | 50 | 2,852 |
| Dhoom 2 [4-day Thanksgiving weekend] | 1,298,477 | 63 | 20,611 |
| Fanaa [4-day Memorial Day weekend] | 878,938 | 72 | 12,207 |
| Neal 'N' Nikki | 75,005 | 44 | 1,705 |
| Salaam | Namaste | 504,898 | 63 | 8,014 |
| Bunty Aur Babli [4-day Memorial Day weekend] | 435,767 | 51 | 8,544 |
| Veer-Zaara | 903,010 | 88 | 10,261 |
| Dhoom | 102,860 | 32 | 3,214 |
| Hum Tum [4-day Memorial Day weekend] | 348,149 | 43 | 8,096 |
| Saathiya | 71,400 | 29 | 2,462 |
- DHOOM 2 [last weekend: No. 28, this weekend: No. 30]: In its fourth weekend, the film has collected $ 109,763 on 40 screens, with the per screen average working out to $ 2,744. Total: $ 2,490,892 [approx. Rs. 11.17 crores].
NEW YORK CITY BOX-OFFICE
- DHOOM 2 [last weekend: No. 23, this weekend: No. 29]: In its fourth weekend, the film has collected $ 10,587 on 3 screens, with the per screen average working out to $ 3,529. New York total: $ 289,507.
