Check out these facts: 50 releases (including dubbed films) in the first quarter this year, one hit. Six releases in the last month, two hits, one commission-earner, one average grosser, and two flops.

Says trade analyst Amod Mehra, ``The year has been very disappointing for the industry with just one successful film -- Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain -- and a few others like Kachche Dhaage, International Khiladi and Daag-The Fire, which managed to break even. Butthis has been a trend over the last few years -- business starts picking up post-June and peaks during Diwali.''

This time, the turnaround started with John Mathew Matthan's Sarfarosh which opened on April 30. The film raked in an extraordinary turnout in Mumbai and Maharashtra territories, where it has already picked up in excess of Rs 2.5 crore. It has also done reasonably well in other centres.

Then came the Sanjay Dutt-starrer, Kartoos on May 7, which managed a fantastic initial, but plummetted soon after. The fate of southern director P Vasu's Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet which released the same day, was the exact opposite. This low-key flick starring Ajay Devgan got a shaky start but went on to become a roaring hit in places like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. ``We get very few films such as this one with a rural backdrop, which is why there's no serious competition. They're just lapped up by the audience in the interiors,'' says the film's distributor, Tolu Bajaj.

While the two May 14releases, Sooryavansham and Rajaji vanished without a whimper, Vashu Bhagnani's multi-starrer comic-melodrama Biwi No. 1 which hit 335 screens across the country last Friday is already being dubbed a resounding hit. ``Bhagnani refused to sell the film's distribution rights, both local and overseas, despite getting offers to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore per territory. It was a huge risk to release the film himself, but it has paid off with collections hovering around the 100 per cent mark all over,'' says Mehra.

Apparently, the film has found favour with women, who are thronging to cinema halls to see how men cheat on their wives. ``Ladies and kids have liked it immensely -- it's a light comedy that's ideal for the vacation season. Moreover, the film is strong enough to offset any competition from cricket,'' says Shringar Films' Shyam Shroff, who has released the film in Mumbai on Bhagnani's behalf.

And this bodes well for the industry, which has a power-packed calendar over the next threemonths with several big-budget ventures featuring mega stars lined up for release. Though there is still some cause for concern among distributors with the piracy menace which has resurfaced in recent months. Says Bajaj, ``Things were under control after the industry's morcha against cable piracy late last year. But now, collections have been hit once again and returns have dropped by as much as 15 to 20 per cent on account of this problem. The industry may have to get together once again and approach the government for a long-term solution.''

THE LINE-UP (ALL PRICES APPROX)