After Eid and Independence Day, it seems that the hype for the big Diwali releases is lacking at the moment. Akshay Kumar returns to his favorite Diwali slot with the action-adventure, Ram Setu, and the initial reaction to ticket sales is nowhere near expected. As of Saturday night, Ram Setu has sold only 110,000 tickets nationwide, of which 5,200 tickets have been sold in the three national chains – PVR, Inox and Cinepolis.
The claims so far are much lower than movies like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Jug Jugg Jeeyo, Laal Singh Chaddha, Samrat Prithviraj, Raksha Bandhan, Shamshera and Vikram Vedha, but the movement in tickets is also influenced by the pre-Diwali factor when families are shopping. From this point on, it’s important for Ram Setu to pick up some momentum and pick up the pace, leading to the film’s release on Tuesday. However, the holiday factor will lead to higher than usual spot bookings.
Ideally, Ram Setu had a start of Rs. 20 crore plus considering the holiday factor and also the action adventure theme, but as things stand it won’t be a surprise to us if it opens below Rs. $18 million. While the movie deals with a Thank God clash, it is still a much bigger movie and has enough screens and shows to put on a large number on post-Diwali day.
Ram Setu will rely heavily on on-site bookings for opening day, and we may be able to predict the film’s first business day by Monday, as the pick-up will determine its fate in advance and indicate whether the momentum is in its favor or not. . Positive word of mouth is necessary for Ram Setu to evolve well and achieve much needed success for Akshay Kumar.
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