Samrat Prithviraj, Akshay Kumar’s newest film, appears to have a lifetime box office total of Rs 100 crore. Given the anticipation around the film, its celebrity cast, and a brand like Yash Raj Films producing and releasing it, that is a letdown on a budget of over Rs 150 crore. Making the picture tax-free in some areas was supposed to assist, but that hasn’t happened.
The film grossed Rs 10.70 crore on its opening day (Friday, June 3), followed by Rs 12.6 crore and an anticipated Rs 16 crore on Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total for the crucial three-day window to Rs 39 crore.
In Bollywood, the lifetime collection is usually 2.5 times that of the opening weekend. Take, for example, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which grossed Rs 56 crore in its first three days and Rs 155 crore overall.
With films like Attack: Part 1, Heropanti 2, Runway 34, Jersey, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Dhaakad, and Anek, Bollywood has had a difficult era. The silver lining was Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and now that Samrat Prithviraj hasn’t delivered, the pressure is mounting once more. Taran Adarsh, a trade analyst, believes that this “is a critical time, with the sector in desperate need of big-ticket triumphs.”
Multiplex owners understand that strong entertainment is the only way to draw in people.
“The marketing campaign with the star’s appearance pulls in the throng on the first Friday. Beyond that, it’s all about the content, nothing else “Amit Sharma, MD of Miraj Cinemas, a 160-screen multiplex business, agrees. Dharmaveer, a Marathi film, and Saunkan Saunkne, a Punjabi film, are two examples of how strong material has managed to draw in an audience, according to him. “Similarly, Major has worked in Telugu, while Vikram is a Tamil success.”
Distributors and exhibitors privately discuss how Bollywood has jumped on the OTT bandwagon in a significant manner since it delivers them a lot of money up front.
“It has a detrimental influence on theatrical income since the producer has no stake in the game,” a distributor says, adding that a Hindi picture is on OTT four weeks after its debut, leaving no money on the table for anyone else.
