In a year, there are those 8–10 films that give out right signals right from the time the first promo hits the air. Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai is one such fortunate films that has treaded just the right path to reach the kind of comfort stage that it finds itself in today. Just about everything seems to be going positively for this Milan Luthria film as of now. Whether it is it’s casting (Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi), edgy look, and dramatic premise and, of course, the music which is topping the charts – everything is contributing to ensure that Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai takes a very positive start at the box office.

In fact, the way this crime thriller has been hyped, it should find patronage in single screens as well as multiplex audience, something which is a rarity in today’s times. Though family audiences may keep away initially due to the gangster theme, youth and audience from interiors can be expected to ensure that the film manages an opening in the range of 70–80 percent for itself. The collections should be comparable to some of the best this year and it would be a surprise if the film garners anything less than 30 crores in the first week itself, hence turning out to be one of the best for Emraan at the least.

Another advantage that the film carries is the fact that it is arriving solo. Also, with Khatta Meetha not quite turning out to be a hurricane, there are audiences hungry for exciting cinema. Next week too there is only a single release in the form of Aisha which looks interesting but still provides enough space for OUATIM to enjoy a continued run. Until and unless this Ekta Kapoor film is outrightly bad (which, as per industry buzz, is definitely not the case) and sees the kind of fate that was meted out to Kites and Raavan after a multi-crore opening led to lack of audience in weekdays to follow, there is no reason why OUATIM should not enjoy a hit tag for itself.

– Sampurn Wire