After lending the film a decent opening, audience may not have patronised Khatta Meetha throughout its opening week. However, in the times when it is an opening that makes or break most of the films, Khatta Meetha too managed to breathe relatively easier with 32 crores coming in after the first week. The collections did see a hit over the second weekend due to the release of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, hence denting chances of a reasonably longer second innings. The word of mouth wasn't encouraging enough and audience decided to give the film a pass.

Meanwhile the makers of Khatta Meetha aren't in a complaining mode either because though the film isn't a hit, it has certainly managed to sail through. With an expected lifetime theatrical total of 40 crores from India leading to 24 crores distribution share, 12 crores coming in from satellite, 5 crores from overseas segment, music rights fetching 5 crores, and 2 crores for home video, the film is sitting at a sum total of just less than 50 crores. Since Akshay Kumar, who is also the producer of the film, had made a full package deal of selling the film for 30 crore with any additional moolah leading to profit sharing, all prime stakeholders can be seen smiling away.

Though Khatta Meetha hasn't been a loss making proposition for Akshay or Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd. (to which the film was sold), one can be rest assured that they wouldn't be looking at this as the best case scenario. For a superstar like Akshay, every film is looked at with great expectation and a certain promise is made to the audience. Moreover as an actor turned producer Akshay Kumar, who was offered crores till a couple of years ago, would be itching to get a much bigger share of profits in his future assignments.

One can just hope that Khatta Meetha was a small roadblock with Akshay's next film Action Replayy promising good hopes of seeing him in a masala affair with Aishwarya Rai. With Tees Maar Khan all set to end a rather eventful year for Akshay, the actor-producer won't really be a worried lot.

-- Joginder Tuteja/Sampurn Wire