Making a comedy became a sure-shot successformula at the box office in 2008, but it hasn't worked well for filmmakers sofar this year with biggies like 'Chandni Chowk ToChina' and 'Billu' biting the dustat the ticket window.

But many still feel that the genre hasn't lostits charm and will prove its worth with upcoming films like 'Kambakkht Ishq'and 'Dil BoleHadippa'.

Comic capers became box office favouritesin 2008 when big-budget, multi-starrers like 'Dostana', 'Golmaal Retuns' and'Singh Is Kinng', small fry 'Oye Lucky!Lucky Oye' and even the non-commercial 'Welcome To Sajjanpur' turned into topgrossers at the ticket window.

But none of the comedies released in 2009have been able to do repeat the success story. When Akshay Kumar-starrer'Chandni Chowk To China' was released, trade pundits expected it to carryforward the trend and fans too anticipated another heavy dose of fun andfrolic. But the film didn't live up to expectations and fell flat at the boxoffice.

Others that saw the same fate were filmslike Soha Ali Khan's 'Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge', Fardeen Khan-starrer 'Jai Veeru', afilm based on the Parsi community 'Little Zizou', Aftab Shivdasani's 'AlooChaat', Vinay Pathak and Gul Panag-starrer 'Straight' and '99', which had KunalKhemu and Cyrus Broacha in key roles.

Despite comedies flopping left, right andcentre, filmmakers have not lost faith in the genre. Vipul Amrutlal Shah, whoproduced last year's blockbuster 'Singh is Kinng', had told us that humour hasto change it's form to hit the bull's eye.

"There is a sociological reason behindthe success of the genre. Comedies work well when circumstances around us aregrim. In such a situation, comedies play an effective role in providing peoplemomentary escape from the harsh realities," said Benegal.

The failure of the genre in the first halfof the year has proved that it is not a cakewalk making a comedy that iscrafted to amuse, entertain and provide enjoyment to all classes of people.

Now all eyes are on Akshay Kumar andKareena Kapoor's lavishly shot romantic comedy 'Kambakkht Ishq' and AkshayeKhanna and Arshad Warsi's 'Short Kut - The Con Is On'.

Other comedies that are scheduled to hit the screens later this yearinclude big banner films like Ashutosh Gowariker's Priyanka Chopra-starrer'Whats Your Rashee?', Yash Raj Films' 'Dil Bole Hadippa' that features RaniMukerji and Shahid Kapoor, Akshay and Katrina Kaif's 'De Dana Dan' and DavidDhawan's 'Do Knot Disturb'.