Ishq Vishk, Chalte Chalte, Bhoot -- the box office is finally bullish on Bollywood.

The latest film to get a grand opening is debutant director Sujoy Ghosh's zany look at the urban lifestyle in Jhankaar Beats. The film was released in over 50 theatres in India. Its exultant producer, Pritish Nandy, says, "The response to Jhankaar Beats, which can be regarded as a niche film, has been staggering. We are getting a massive reaction from all the centres."

The film has been deliberately released in restricted centres. Says Nandy, "The target audience for a film like Jhankaar Beats has to be urban. Twentieth Century Fox, which has begun Hindi film distribution with Jhankaar Beats, will distribute three other films produced by my company [Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd]. Needless to say, the language in these films will be Hinglish, the lingo of the urban Indian."

The next 20th Century Fox release in Hindi will be director Anant Balani's Mumbai Matinee. Like Jhankaar Beats, it is an urban satire about a 30-year-old Bengali virgin (Rahul Bose) trying to have sex.

Says Nandy, "It isn't the language but the attitude and treatment which determined the success of Jhankaar Beats. I'm sure Mumbai Matinee will also find a staunch audience."

Experimental films now seem to be finding favour among audiences. Anant Balani's Joggers' Park, produced by Subhash Ghai, is about a retired judge (Victor Banerjee) discovering the truth about life in a suburban Mumbai park. Debutant director Kushan Nandy's 88 Antop Hill, which opens this Friday (exactly a week after his father Pritish Nandy's Jhankaar Beats), is a Hinglish thriller. Says Nandy Jr, "We are obviously going for a restricted release. Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon also releases the same day, but we are in no way competing with it. 88 Antop Hill is targeted at a young urban audience. But because it is a suspense thriller, it can be enjoyed by other sections of the audience."

With Jhankaar Beats opening spectacularly, and with international corporate companies ready to back these projects, many directors are planning Hinglish films. One of the main reasons for this new trend is that such films are economical to produce. Besides, the investment made in the film is recovered easily.