Finance
Shehzada, directed by Rohit Dhawan and starring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon, isn’t performing as well as expected at the box office. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the Kartik Aaryan-starrer earned approximately the same amount on its second day after earning Rs 6 crore on its first day. However, for a Kartik Aaryan film, this is a rather dull performance, especially on a Saturday, which is the most important test for a film.
National chains have underperformed, and single screens have also underperformed. The film’s first weekend is expected to be less than Rs 20 crore, which is completely unexpected for the film. Even though it was a promotion, the Buy-One-Get-One-Free ticket offer did not benefit the film even though it was a rather gutsy offer. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Shehzada can prove trade analysts wrong and have a better Sunday, before it faces the Monday test.
This is most likely a setback for Kartik Aaryan, who had a smashing success with his film Bhool Bhulaiyyaa 2 last year. The horror-comedy was one of Bollywood’s few hits last year, grossing more than Rs 180 crore at the box office. Shehzada is also up against Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which is still going strong in its third week and is aiming for the Rs 1000 crore club globally. The film has already surpassed Rs 500 crore in India, making it one of the biggest hits of 2023. Shehzada was also overshadowed by Marvel’s Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which grossed Rs 9 crore on its opening day.
Shehzada is the official remake of the blockbuster starring Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde film Ala Vailkunthapurramaloo. The original film had cashed in on the Sankranthi festival and overlapped with Mahesh Babu’s film Sarileru Neekevvaru, which released a day earlier.
Shehzada also stars Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, Paresh Rawal.
Source:IE
