Mumbai, Oct. 21 -- On Diwali in 2007, Shahrukh Khan's Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, featuring debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, were vying for millions of Indian to watch their movie in cinema halls.

While Saawariya failed to woo the audience, cinema halls were packed with people who couldn't get enough of Om Shanti Om. The Farah Khan-directorial went on to be a blockbuster earning Rs.149.87 crore worldwide, according to Box Office India, and catapulting newcomer Deepika Padukone into Bollywood stardom.

Diwali continues to be a big holiday weekend for filmmakers, movie studios, and exhibitors in India's Hindi-speaking territories. But audiences appeared disinterested in going to a theatre to watch a Hindi movie this festive holida...