A still from Aap Kaa Surroor — The Moviee

Cap or no cap, Himesh Reshammiya has a headstart over Dharmendra, Emraan Hashmi and Bruce Willis.

On the eve of the most crowded Friday in recent times, the pre-bookings at the plexes show the singer-turned-actor ‘nose’ ahead of he-man Dharam (Apne), serial kisser Emraan (Awarapan) and ultimate action hero John McClane (Die Hard 4.0). The rest have more shows per day, but Aap Kaa Surroor has more first-weekend takers.

Himesh, known to elicit devotion or distaste for his trademark style of nasal crooning from under a cap, debuts as a hero with Aap Kaa Surroor — The Moviee. The advance bookings have been “above average”, with fans responding to the high-pitched hype.

Says Naresh Jain of Nikita Arts, which is distributing the film in the region:“There is a buzz about Aap Kaa Surroor, especially because of its music, which is already a hit. The advances opened on Wednesday and the bookings for the weekend have been very healthy.”

Thanks to the likes of Shubham Bhattacharya. “I am a huge Himesh fan and I will surely catch the film this weekend. Himesh the actor will be as successful as Himesh the singer,” asserts the school student.

Vikas Syal, regional general manager, INOX, confirms the good initials for Himesh, but refuses to write off the rest. “The advance for Aap Kaa Surroor have been good, but so have the weekend bookings for Apne and Die Hard 4.0.”

Adds Saurabh Varma, vice-president, programming, INOX: “The star power of the Deols, coming together on screen for the first time, coupled with their promotional visit to Calcutta on Monday, should ensure a decent opening for the Anil Sharma film. ”

Also waiting to flex his muscles at the box office is John McClane in the fourth edition of Die Hard. Bulk bookings for the Bruce Willis action flick are in fashion this weekend, pushing up demand for tickets. “All the previous editions of Die Hard have done well in Calcutta and given the enquiries for the film, it does seem that the new one will also score at the box office,” says a source.

Bringing up the rear is Awarapan, starring Emraan Hashmi in an image-defying role, more spiritual than sexual. Forget a kiss, he does not even have a hug, confirms director Mohit Suri. That is a gamble that can only pay-off if the word-of-mouth about the film is good, says the trade.