Anushka Sharma has been busy shooting for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl with Ranveer Singh in Goa. But wasn’t she only committed to a three-film exclusive contract with Yashraj Films? Why a fourth movie after Rab Ne Bana De Jodi (2008), Badmaash Company (2010) and Band Baaja Baraat (2010)? Is it because she can’t say no to mentor Aditya Chopra?

The actor insists that she was never tied down to an exclusive contract with Yashraj. “Yes, Adi is my mentor, but he doesn’t decide which movies I should do, nor does he make movies for me,” she grouses. “I take his help when I’m in need, and if he has a script he feels will suit me, he approaches me without any pressures whatsoever to take it on. If I’m doing a fourth film with Yashraj, it’s only because Adi respects my talent. Period.”

Lately, there have been rumours about Anushka acting pricey. She apparently refused to promote Patiala House earlier this year. “I did more for it than any other film of mine. Yashraj doesn’t promote its films much, but for Patiala House, I toured five cities in one day,” she protests, adding, “The film was not the usual Akshay Kumar comedy, but it did get me plenty of respect as an actor.”

Three out of four of her releases so far may have been with the Chopras while she is also currently shooting yet another film with her mentors. However that doesn't mean that post 'Patiala House', Anushka Sharma has stopped looking at options outside Yash Raj Films.

Says a friend of Anushka, "It may seem like she is going slow but that is not really the case. In fact if 'Patiala House' would have released in 2010 itself (as per the original plans), it would have made it three in a row for Anushka last year with 'Badmaash Company', 'Patiala House' and 'Band Baaja Baaraat'."

However now that 'Ladies v/s Ricky Behl' seems quite far away with no other newer release in between and there hasn't been any new announcement on her behalf, one wonders if Anushka is missing out on cashing the success of 'Band Baaja Baaraat'.

- By Taran Adarsh, February 16, 2011 - 08:22 IST

PATIALA HOUSE has fared well in key international markets - U.K. and U.S.A. In fact, post HOUSE FULL, which embarked on a flying start, Akshay Kumar's subsequent films [KHATTA MEETHA and ACTION REPLAYY mainly] had grossed dull figures in the key markets [check U.K. and U.S.A. charts below]. But PATIALA HOUSE seems to be a turning point in his career. Of course, the weekend numbers aren't great when compared to what Akshay has achieved in the past, but his latest film depicts an upswing in the business of his films.

-By Taran Adarsh, February 15, 2011 - 16:19 IST

Mondays are crucial; you get to know which way the film is proceeding - Northwards or Southwards. PATIALA HOUSE, which had a slow start on Friday, but picked up well on Saturday and also on Sunday, maintained steady collections on Monday.The film collected approx. Rs. 2.75 cr on the fourth day, taking the 4-day total to approx. Rs. 18 cr. nett.It may be recalled that Akshay Kumar starrers have, in the past, done Rs. 22 cr to Rs. 25 cr nett business in their opening weekend. Keeping that in mind, the 4-day total of PATIALA HOUSE may seem low, but the fact remains that the film is holding well.

A while ago, I posed a question on Twitter and Facebook, asking people what their expectations were from PATIALA HOUSE. The reaction ranged from encouraging and affirmative to unenthusiastic and unexciting. A wide number of caustic and scathing comments were a consequence of Akshay Kumar's last year's releases, namely KHATTA MEETHA, ACTION REPLAYY and TEES MAAR KHAN. Also, a few called it similar to DE DHANA DHAN GOAL, while some even compared it with NAMASTEY LONDON.

In fact, a lot many factors go against PATIALA HOUSE. Director Nikihil Advani and Akshay's last outing together, the infamous CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA, remains a favorite punching bag to this day. Besides, PATIALA HOUSE comes at a time when people have had an overdose of Akshay starrers. I reiterate, there ought to be at least six months' gap between two films of a major star, while this is Akshay's fourth release in six months [KHATTA MEETHA - 23 July, ACTION REPLAYY - 5 November and TEES MAAR KHAN - 24 December]. Moreover, the film opens exactly one week before the keenly anticipated World Cup cricket matches and coupled with that, it will have no breathing space as the very next week witnesses the release of another much-awaited film 7 KHOON MAAF. Expecting PATIALA HOUSE to overcome these hurdles is tough, mainly when the chips are down!