The industry is in shock over Aamir Khan’s dismal Day 1 box office performance laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan. We asked trading experts to talk about it and what contributed to such a scenario.
Film business producer and analyst Girish Johar sighed: “I am disappointed with the box office start. They are two big stars and both films are biggies. Both actors have done everything they can to promote the films everywhere. Also the music did pretty well. So it ticked all the right boxes. But if the public doesn’t show up, I see something on the wall that we as a brotherhood need to think about.”
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said he is extremely shocked that… Laal Singh Chaddha collected only Rs. 11.70 crores on the first day and followed it up with just Rs. 7.2 crores on day 2. He said, “It was an Aamir Khan movie after four years. Besides, there was also the Raksha Bandhan holiday. It alone should have opened at least Rs. 25 million dollars. It is also a big movie with a heavy label. Apologies don’t work anymore. The market is 100% open.”
Raksha Bandhan, meanwhile, opened for just Rs. 8.20 crores on Day 1 and ended Day 2 with Rs. $6.4 million. As a result, the combined total of one day is only Rs. 20 crores and combined day 2 at Rs. 13.66 cr, which is quite low than expectations. Trade analyst Atul Mohan exclaimed:ek zamana tha jab ek bada actor Rs. 40-50 crores ki opening detail that.”
Taran Adarsh noted, “Both films collected around Rs. $20 million on vacation. if Laal Singh chaddha and Raksha Bandhan had come on a non-vacation, imagine what the result would have been.”
However, Atul Mohan noted, “Raksha Bandhan is not a major holiday. The morning and afternoon shows are always then when people are engaged in festivities and in family gatherings. It is in the evening that they will do a movie, provided the reports are positive.”
He continued: “Unfortunately, Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan didn’t enjoy the benefit because the excitement of watching movies and the magic of cinema is diminishing.”