Akshay Kumar starrer Raksha Bandhan, which also stars Bhumi Pednekar, was released today. Directed by Aanand L Rai, the movie, an emotional sibling story, was expected to start on a humble note.
To live up to these expectations, Raksha Bandha actually started off on an expected note with an occupancy rate during the morning and early afternoon shows stuck at 15%. Facing competition from the other new release in the form of Laal Singh Chaddha, the protagonist of Aamir Khan, the battle for screen space resulted in a low advance booking rate that has greatly influenced both Raksha Bandhan and Laal Singh Chaddha. However, Raksha Bandhan, who enjoys greater penetration in second- and third-place cities, single screens and mass-dominated sectors, is expected to do moderate to decent business. The multiplex occupancy was below par and the film needs spot booking support and positive word of mouth to make it through.
Although the film doesn’t really have much to offer the youth, the family theme and emotional content of the film has endeared it to the theater-going family audience. With mass-dominated Hindi belts favoring Raksha Bandhan over the other release, the film’s activity is expected to increase as the day goes on. In fact, trading believes the Akshay Kumar starrer could see its opening day business in double digits.