Though the trade pundits are focusing on big guns like SARKAR RAJ, SINGH IS KINNG, GHAJINI, YUVRAAJ and RAB NE BANA DI JODI, etc. to bail out Bollywood from its losses, the latter part of 2008 has its own dark horses, which are bound to spring quite a few surprises. Last year we had BHEJA FRY, a product of the alternate/multiplex cinema which earned almost seven to eight times the amount of its budget! Similarly the first part of the current year has a MITHYA to show.

This year too has some brilliant alternate cinemas which cater to the intelligent, multiplex thronging audience, lined up for release. Few of the outstanding ones that have the potential to strike it big at the ticket window are as follows.

First of all there is UTV Spot Boy's AAMIR, which marks the silver screen debut of the television superstar, the extremely good looking and versatile Rajeev Khandelwal. Then there is Jahnu Barua's HAR PAL, starring the pretty Preity Zinta. Also starring Preity Zinta, along with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Arjun Rampal is Rituparno Ghosh's THE LAST LEAR. And then there is Sanjay Gupta's mutistarrer, ALIBAUG and last but not the least, Santosh Sivan's TAHAAN.

So, let's wait and see which are the eventual dark horses of the year!

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