The Shahid Kapoor-led thriller, Deva is seeing a tepid response at the box office in the advance booking. According to the data set received at 10 am, Deva has sold approximately 6,000 tickets across the Top 3 national chains – PVR, Inox and Cinepolis - and is looking to take a slow start at the box office in India.

The advance booking for Deva opened on Tuesday evening and ever since then, the response has been lukewarm to say the least. The positive sign is in the fact that the film is releasing without any offers and discounts, which means every ticket sale will be organic without any intervention from external factors. However, the organic movement isn't good enough so far, and this makes Deva a film heavily dependent on the reports from cinema-going audience. At the moment, Deva seems to be on track for an opening in the Rs. 5 crore range, but good reports could make it jump towards the Rs. 7 crore mark.

After bringing in Rs. 8.10 crores on Monday, Sky Force did see a drop on Tuesday as Rs. 6.30 crores came in. The hold on Monday was actually good since Friday was aided by discounted tickets as well which had resulted in better-than-expected footfalls. Hence, Monday collections were notable as the drop was less than 50%. This also gave hope that Tuesday will stay on to be over Rs. 7 crores mark and hence Rs. 6.30 crores, which have come in is a bit of a surprise.

That said, the collections are more normalised now because if 50% drop would indeed have come on Monday then these Tuesday numbers would have been on par. What’s required now though is that collections stay stable today and tomorrow and at maximum around 10% daily drops come in. That will ensure that collections will stay on over Rs. 5 crores right through the week and post that it would be second weekend that will do the talking.

So far, Rs. 87.60 crores have come in and this Tuesday drop means that unless collections stay super stable for rest of the week, Rs. 100 crores milestone would be met on second Friday. There is a different ring to it though if a film enters the Rs. 100 Crore Club in Week One itself, though at the end of the day it’s academic and Sky Force will eventually reach there.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

After collecting Rs. 15.30 crores on Friday and then going past Rs. 20 crores and Rs. 30 crores mark each on Saturday and Sunday, Sky Force needed to hold around 50% in order to have a good first week. This was also a bare minimum requirement for a century to be scored in one week flat. Of course, had the numbers stayed in double digits then it would have been even better but something over Rs. 8 crores needed to come.

Well, this is what happened as 8.10 crores came in and that’s less than 50% drop from Monday score of Rs. 15.30 crores. The film has the kind of content that goes for multiplex audiences, and this is where it’s scoring the most as well. Especially at the big cities, the film is showing better occupancy and in days to come this is what will bring in the best score as well.

The film has now scored Rs. 81.30 crores and an average of around Rs. 6-7 crores on a daily basis will take it past the Rs. 100 crores mark by the close of Week One. There is a flurry of releases in weeks to come, which means Sky Force will face not be without competition. The aim would be reach Rs. 150 crores lifetime and while Rs. 135 crores is a given for the film, it would be interesting to see how it bridges the gap from there till Rs. 150 crores.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

The Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya starrer Sky Force has seen a dip in collections on the first Monday as according to early estimates, the Dinesh Vijan production is headed to collect in the range of Rs. 6.25 crores to Rs. 7.25 crores on the first Monday, taking total collections a little under Rs. 80 crores.

The trend on Monday is not so good as a better hold closer to the Rs. 10 crore mark was expected from Sky Force given the superlative trend over the weekend. The Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Kapur directorial now needs to show strong legs at the box office over the weekdays and then an excellent spike in the second weekend to sail safely as the costs are on the higher side.

Sky Force released to extremely positive reviews on Friday, and collected strong numbers on the weekend, starting around the Rs. 15 crore mark and jumping to Rs. 31 crore on Republic Day. There has been an additional push to the box office of Sky Force due to discounted tickets.

Sky Force is now on its way to hit a century at the box office. In its opening weekend itself, it has hit a huge half century at the box office, and that too a comfortable one at that. With Rs. 73.20 crores in its kitty so far, the film has made steady progress at theatres and has been attracting footfalls at regular ticket prices. In fact, on Sunday, it collected quite well with Rs. 20 crores mark being crossed, what with Rs. 31.60 crores coming in.

This has been good trending for the Akshay Kumar led film and now all eyes are how the weekdays hold up. Indications are that the collections would be impressive right through the week since even though the first day was aided by discounted ticket rates, that has not been the case on Saturday and Sunday, and still the collections have gone well up. This shows that there has been good momentum built for the film amongst the audiences and that should continue well from today till Thursday as well.

The industry really needed a Bollywood film to do well at the box office since it had been ages since one saw a commercial success. After Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again, this is the first one to bring in some substantial moolah and hopefully it will turn around the fortunes for Bollywood.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

Sky Force saw huge growth on Saturday as it collected Rs. 26.30 crores at the box office. On Friday the film had brought in Rs. 15.30 crores so there is terrific growth, more so since the discount offer was also taken away. This means that audiences were actually paying for complete ticket amount and still the collections went so much higher, which means the footfalls were actually almost double.

The film has been loved by the audiences and that’s the best part because it was pretty much required for a long run. Today being Republic Day, the footfalls will be even better than a regular Sunday. That said, there is no real holiday advantage. Still, the film will comfortably cross Rs. 30 crores mark today and the aim would be to collect much higher than that. Post that as long as double-digit collections come in from Monday onwards, it would be really advantageous for the film, though practically speaking around 8-9 crores would be good as well.

The Akshay Kumar led film has now collected Rs. 41.60 crores and the weekend should go on to be in the range of Rs. 70-75 crores. While an entry into the Rs. 100 Crore Club is now a given in Week One itself, one waits to see how it keeps going in weeks to come with several new films arriving one after another.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

The Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya film, Sky Force, surpassed all expectations on the opening day as the film went ahead to collect Rs 15.30 crore going past all projections, which were in the range of Rs. 8 to Rs. 10 crore. After a healthy start, the aerial action thriller is seeing a massive surge in business on the second day as per present trends.

According to early estimates, Sky Force is looking to collect in the range of Rs. 24 crores to Rs. 26 crores on the second day, which is a humongous surge of approx. 75 percent over Friday. The two-day total of Sky Force now stands around the Rs. 40 crore mark, and the film is racing to clock an opening weekend of Rs. 70 crores.

The opening weekend of Sky Force would be among the biggest of all time for Akshay Kumar and with this trend, the film will be racing towards the Rs. 100 crore club too in the long run as the reports are fantastic. Sky Force is produced by Dinesh Vijan and Jio Studios with Amar Kaushik.

SkyForce has opened well at the box office. A couple of days before release it had seemed like the film will open in the range of Rs. 8-10 crores. However, the advance booking started gathering pace on Thursday with multiple offers coming into play and that indicated a double digit opening. Post that it was all about content doing the talking and that’s something that pushed the film further ahead.

While the start of the film in the morning and afternoon shows was fair, the evening shows started gathering good pace as the reports have been all sound positive. The critics had anyways passed their verdict from Thursday itself when the pre-release screenings took place and then audience word of mouth started spreading well too which resulted in the first day collections coming to Rs. 15.30 crores. This is in fact the biggest start that a Bollywood film has seen for a really long time and for comparison, the only other double digit opening before that was back on 1st November when Singham Again (again starring Akshay Kumar) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 had released.

The offers are out of equation as well which means the Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya starrer will now operate on the basis of merits. If the start that the film had taken on Saturday is any indication, then the footfalls are even better which means there would be good growth today. That’s quite good and if the film goes past Rs. 20 crores mark today then it would be game on.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

The Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya film Sky Force has taken a decent start at the box office in India. According to very early estimates, Sky Force has collected in the range of Rs. 11 to Rs 12 crores on Friday. The film has overperformed vis-a-vis expectations and this is largely aided by the heavy discounts offered on tickets by the makers.

The early reports are positive, and a large contribution for Sky Force has come from multiplexes, as it did little business in single screens. The idea for Sky Force will be to record a spike in business on Saturday and Sunday and hit a solid total of about Rs. 50 crore over a three-day period.

The Akshay Kumar film is expected to benefit from the Republic Day Holiday period too. Sky Force has benefitted from external factors on the first day and it needs to show a strong trend over the next few days, once all the offers and discounts settle down.

The advance booking of the Dinesh Vijan and Jio Studios-produced Sky Force is gaining momentum as the top three national chains – PVR, Inox and Cinepolis - have sold around 45,000 tickets as of Thursday at 6.30 PM. The film is looking to sell around 60,000 tickets across the top three national chains, which more or less seals a double-digit opening at the box office in India.

The bookings have benefitted by the discounted ticket pricing, as PVRInox and Cinepolis alongside Book My Show are offering a flat discount of Rs. 250 per ticket. This move has been taken by the producers of this Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya film to sample it to a larger section of the audience and get positive word of mouth.

Sky Force is looking to take an opening of double digit, and this looked impossible a week ago but the discounted pricing has escalated the sales in a big way. The early reports are superlative, and with strong patriotic content, Sky Force should be the best pick for the cinema-going audience during the Republic Day 2025 weekend.

The Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya led Sky Force is seeing a lacklustre response in advance booking as the Dinesh Vijan production has sold around 14,000 tickets across the Top 3 national chains – PVR, Inox & Cinepolis - as of Thursday at 7 AM. The advance bookings have been largely boosted by offers announced by Book My Show and PVRInox, which is giving the users a discount of Rs. 250 and Rs. 400 respectively per ticket.

The advance booking has seen some movement only due these offers on prices. Cinepolis had sold around 150 tickets as of Wednesday at 6.30 PM, and there was a surge to 2000 tickets by 11 PM on Wednesday owing to this strategy. All eyes are now on word of mouth and how much of movement the film sees once the offers and discounts come to an end.

Both Emergency and Azaad dropped on Monday, and that’s not a good sign for either of the two films. With Azaad, it still seemed on the cards since the opening as well as the trending was poor right since Friday. However, Emergency did show some growth on Saturday and then Sunday saw further increment in collections. Hence, there was some hope that it may sustain on Monday.

That was not the case to be though as the film dropped by around 50% on Monday. The film collected Rs. 1.25 crore* and that’s much below Rs. 2 crores that had been earned on Friday. Ideally, the film needed to be at least Rs. 1.75-2 crores for having some sort of a run in the first week but this drop means that the collections would be low at the end of first week and then it would face new release Sky Force. So far, the Kangana Ranaut starrer stands at almost Rs. 10 crores*.

As for Azaad, it will wrap up well under the lifetime of Rs. 10 crores. After collecting Rs. 4.05 crores over the weekend, it crashed to Rs. 65 lakhs on Monday. That’s again a major drop when compared to opening day collections that just about managed to earn Rs. 1.40 crore. The drop here is much bigger and now hardly anything will come for rest of the week. With Rs. 4.70 crores in its kitty so far, this is going to be a one week show and a disappointing end to the film’s run.

*Estimates. Final numbers awaited

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

Emergency had a fair weekend of Rs. 8.7 crores as Rs. 3.7 crores came on Sunday. The film has seen further growth and that’s a positive sign. In fact, the quantum of growth from Friday opening of 2 crores is reasonable too and what matters most is that the first day had Cinema Lovers Day advantage and still numbers have continued to go up.

As is expected from a film of this genre and backdrop, there are always polarised views. There are bound to be debates as well and with the advent of social media, it’s also about from which quarters there is a lot of noise and how that can be taken care of by the core content of the film. From that perspective, Emergency had to weather another storm post release as well and it has managed to do that so far. What matters from this point on is word-of-mouth to take the film forward as that would be of most significance. Collections from today onwards will indicate how well that’s working out for the Kangana Ranaut film.

Meanwhile Azaad had a low weekend of Rs. 4.05 crores and though it all depended on word of mouth for this film too, unfortunately the collections haven’t really gone up over the weekend. There is a lot that goes behind deciding the launchpad of newcomers and one just hopes that Aaman Devgn and Rasha Thadani are noticed by the industry for what they have done.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

The IMAX format has emerged as a real crowd-puller with each passing year. Earlier, Hollywood films were the only ones getting a release in IMAX. But in the last decade, Indian films, too, started having a release in the premium format, and it has gotten a great response. In 2023, 44 IMAX format films got a release and in 2024, the number jumped to more than 50 (which includes re-releases). The total collection of these films was a whopping 14.50 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 124.44 crores) from 31 screens.

Bollywood Hungama, in this special box office report, will list the top 10 films in IMAX in 2024 in India. The film in the top position is Deadpool & Wolverine, also the second biggest Hollywood grosser of India. It collected Rs. 128.40 crores out of which the earnings from IMAX were 1.745 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 15.11 crores).

The second film on the list surprisingly is Dune: Part Two. It collected Rs. 27.86 crores and was the sixth highest Hollywood grosser of last year. But the share from the IMAX screens was 1.561 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 13.52 crores). In short, 48.53% of collections of the film came from the IMAX theatres. The feat is unbelievable as it has managed to beat major films of Hollywood and Indian cinema that did more than Rs. 100 crores business.

Mufasa: The Lion King is on the third spot. It is the top Hollywood hit of 2024 in India, and it earned 1.290 million USD gross, which amounts to Rs. 11.17 crores approx. Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, is the top Indian film to score at IMAX last year. Its IMAX earnings were 1.134 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 9.81 crores). By doing so, it beat Pushpa 2 in IMAX though the Allu Arjun-starrer is a much bigger hit. Pushpa 2 collected 1.034 million USD gross, that is, approx. Rs. 8.96 crores.

The sixth position is usurped by Hrithik Roshan-starrer Fighter, the only Bollywood film to make it to the list. It earned 1.033 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 8.95 crores). This was followed by Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It was the third biggest Hollywood hit but in IMAX it earned 9.19 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 7.95 crores). The film was fit for IMAX but due to its mainstream appeal, it was widely consumed by the masses who probably didn’t have access to IMAX theatres.

Inside Out 2 collected Rs. 27.67 crores, that is, just Rs. 19 lakhs less than Dune: Part Two in India. But it's on the eight position as from IMAX, it earned 5.92 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 5.12 crores).

On number 9 is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It managed to earn 4.52 million USD gross (approx. Rs. 3.91 crores). And the tenth position is taken by Thalapathy Vijay’s The Greatest Of All Time. It earned 3.86 million USD gross, that is, Rs. 3.34 crores. The numbers are too low when compared to its overall box office India collections which was Rs. 305 crores gross.

Preetham Daniel, VP of Theatre Development, India, Southeast Asia and Australia, IMAX Corporation told Bollywood Hungama, “India continues to be a priority market for expansion for IMAX and a major area of opportunity for both Hollywood and local language content, and we delivered solid results last year to build on in 2025.” He further said, “This past year, we opened six new locations in the country — on par for our best year ever for new openings — and delivered a record ten Indian releases in IMAX, which comprised a best-ever 35% of our total box office in the country.”

The top films in IMAX in India in 2024 and their gross box office collections are as follows: 1. Deadpool & Wolverine - 1,745,639 USD 2. Dune: Part Two - 1,561,083 USD 3. Mufasa - The Lion King: 1,290,534 USD 4. Kalki 2898 AD - 1,134,245 USD 5. Pushpa 2 - 1,064,697 USD 6. Fighter - 1,023,643 USD 7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - 919,142 USD 8. Inside Out 2 - 582,237 USD 9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - 452,497 USD 10. The Greatest of All Time - 386,171 USD

After collecting Rs. 2 crores on Friday, Emergency grew a bit on Saturday to bring in Rs. 3 crores. Even though in terms of collections the growth may seem around less, in terms of fair value this is far bigger since the ticket prices came back to normal after Cinema Lovers Day on Friday. Typically, collections do come down in such scenarios but here they have actually gone up and that’s a welcome sign.

The film needs to keep this momentum going since it certainly deserves at least reasonably good theatrical business as well for its overall economics to work out. Moreover, and very importantly even as an actress, Kangana Ranaut needs this film to work for her. Over the last few years, she has seen quite a few releases in succession which unfortunately didn’t do well at the box office. Now as a director, she has actually done well with Emergency and with good reports coming the film’s way, this is a golden opportunity for a potential theatrical success as well if it further grows over Rs. 5 crores total so far.

Meanwhile, Azaad couldn’t do much on Saturday as collections just reached Rs. 1.20 crores. The film had brought in 1.40 crores on Friday. With Rs. 2.60 crores in its kitty so far, this debut launchpad of Aaman Devgn and Rasha Thadani will aim to cross Rs. 5 crores mark over the weekend, though that’s about it.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

Two new films released this Friday - Emergency and Azaad. Both were aiming primarily for multiplex audiences and whole former is a political drama, latter is a period film with a horse as the centre of attraction. Kangana Ranaut had completed Emergency some time back and has finally released the film in theatres after weathering all the storm. On the other hand, Ajay Devgn is seen in a special role in Abhishek Kapoor’s Azaad, which is the launchpad of his nephew Amaan Devgn along with Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani.

Both the films were always expected to grow primarily on the basis of word of mouth. Emergency is as it is a content film which means from limited footfalls on the day of release, it basically aims for that Saturday and Sunday audience to take it through. On the other hand, Azaad had to rely on younger audiences to step into theatres to welcome the newcomers, something which required chartbuster music or action to make it happen on the very first day.

There was some aid that came from Cinema Lovers Day as tickets were available at much cheaper price. Emergency had a better advantage here, as was seen from evening and night shows that did grow, hence resulting in Rs. 2.25 crores* coming in. Also, the reports have also ranged from decent to good, which means one can expect good growth today even on normalised price. On the other hand, Azaad was low and though one didn’t expect collections to be anything major due to aforementioned reasons, still it would have been better to accumulate more than Rs. 1.50 crore* that it eventually did on Friday. All eyes are now on how the film sustains from here with regular ticket prices coming into force.

*Estimates. Final numbers awaited

Note: All collections as per various box office sources

The much-anticipated films Emergency and Azaad have begun their box office journey with moderate collections on Day 1. Both films benefited significantly from PVR INOX's Cinema Lovers Day, held on Friday, January 17, 2025. On this special day, movie enthusiasts across India enjoyed an irresistible deal of tickets priced at just ₹112 across all PVR INOX cinemas nationwide, which boosted footfalls and provided a significant push to these mid-budget films.

On Day 1, Emergency, starring and directed by Kangana Ranaut, collected approx. Rs. 2 crores, while Azaad managed Rs. 1.40 crores. Emergency, a political drama set against the backdrop of the 1975 Emergency era in India, found its strongest audience in metro cities as well as in high-end multiplexes. However, the film struggled to draw substantial audiences in smaller towns and single-screen theaters due to its niche subject matter and serious tone. On the other hand, Azaad, with a rural-centric storyline, resonated more with audiences in smaller circuits and single-screen theaters The real test for both films begins tomorrow as ticket prices revert to their standard rates. Emergency will need to sustain its metro and multiplex audiences over the weekend to maintain momentum, relying on positive word-of-mouth to appeal to the politically aware urban demographic. Meanwhile, Azaad faces the challenge of retaining its momentum in the small-town circuits, where affordability often plays a crucial role in driving footfalls. Without a star-driven pull, its growth beyond the first weekend may be limited. The weekend will be pivotal for both films. If Emergency can build on its urban appeal, it might see a moderate rise in collections over the weekend, potentially reaching ₹7–8 crore by Sunday. For Azaad, a slower growth trajectory could lead to weekend collections in the range of ₹4–5 crore, provided it holds steady in rural regions.

The year 2024 was a historic milestone for Malayalam cinema, marking the first time the industry crossed the ₹1,000 crore mark in gross box office collections. This remarkable achievement represented a 116% growth from the previous year and doubled Malayalam cinema’s box office share to 10%. The figures highlighted the growing acceptance and appreciation of Malayalam films not only in India but also on a global scale.

The industry’s growth over the years has been phenomenal. In 2020, Malayalam films grossed ₹147 crore, which rose steadily to ₹191 crore in 2021 and then saw a massive leap to ₹633 crore in 2022. Although there was a slight dip in 2023 with ₹572 crore, 2024 witnessed an unprecedented surge, reaching ₹1,165 crore. This growth was mirrored in audience footfalls, which increased from 2.3 crore in 2020 to 12.6 crore in 2024, a clear indication of the widening reach and appeal of Malayalam films.

One of the standout factors behind this success was the record-breaking performance of Manjummel Boys. The film became the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of all time, earning ₹157 crore and becoming the first Malayalam film to cross the ₹150 crore mark. Its universal themes resonated deeply with audiences in Kerala and neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, solidifying its place as a game-changer for the industry.

The success of Manjummel Boys was complemented by a broader trend of diverse content offerings. In 2024, 26 Malayalam films crossed the ₹10 crore mark, doubling the count from the previous year. This surge in successful releases showcased the industry’s ability to produce a wide variety of films that appealed to different segments of the audience. Beyond the tentpole productions, the consistent quality and innovative storytelling of Malayalam cinema continued to set it apart.

Another critical driver of growth was the expanding reach of Malayalam films. Titles like Aavesham and Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life broke barriers and found audiences outside traditional markets. These films not only captivated viewers with their compelling narratives but also helped reinforce the reputation of Malayalam cinema as a hub for high-quality storytelling. Their success in newer territories highlighted the industry’s growing influence and its ability to connect with audiences across cultural and linguistic boundaries.

As Malayalam cinema continues to ride this wave of success, the future looks incredibly promising. The momentum generated in 2024 provides a strong foundation for further growth in 2025. By continuing to push boundaries with diverse and high-quality productions, the industry has the potential to further expand its footprint both in India and abroad. The remarkable achievements of 2024 have set the stage for Malayalam cinema to cement its place as a creative and innovative force in the world of cinema.

The highly anticipated Sonu Sood starrer Fateh that has been making headlines for a while now, finally hit screens yesterday. After much hype and promotions, the film has kicked off its theatrical run with an impressive opening day collection of Rs. 2.61 crore. Thanks to a bold move by the actor-producer to price tickets at just Rs. 99 on Day 1, the film has attracted audiences in droves, setting a new benchmark for making cinema more accessible.

Sonu Sood, known for his philanthropic endeavours, introduced this initiative to ensure affordability for viewers and promote inclusivity. Adding another dimension to this gesture, Sood announced that all profits from the film's ticket sales would be donated to charity, turning every ticket purchased into a contribution to a greater cause.

With its reduced ticket pricing, Fateh defied pre-release expectations, as noted by trade analyst Taran Adarsh. In a tweet, he remarked, "Fateh defies pre-release estimations on Day 1... The discounted ticket pricing [₹ 99/-] provided the much-needed boost to its biz. Fateh needs to sustain its momentum and deliver strong numbers over Saturday and Sunday, as ticket prices return to regular rates on these days. While audience feedback is positive, it now needs to translate into increased footfalls.”

The film's initial success has sparked discussions about the potential for affordable pricing strategies to revolutionize the movie-going experience, especially in a post-pandemic world where footfalls have often lagged.

Directed by Vaibhav Mishra, Fateh redefines the action genre with its high-octane sequences, intense storytelling, and socially relevant undertones. The gripping narrative not only entertains but also carries a powerful message, resonating with audiences across demographics.

Produced by Umesh KR Bansal under Zee Studios and Sonali Sood of Shakti Sagar Productions, with Ajay Dhama as co-producer, Fateh boasts a stellar cast. Sonu Sood leads the charge, supported by Jacqueline Fernandez, Naseeruddin Shah, and Vijay Raaz, all delivering compelling performances.

As ticket prices return to regular rates over the weekend, Fateh faces its next big challenge: sustaining momentum and capitalizing on the positive word-of-mouth. With audience feedback leaning favourably, the film has a solid foundation to continue its box office journey.

Beyond its financial success, Fateh stands out as an example of cinema with a cause. Sonu Sood’s initiative has sparked hope for more inclusive and socially conscious filmmaking, setting a precedent for other actors and producers to follow.

2025 has kick started and all eyes are on how this year turns out to be for movies at the box office. 2024 was a mixed year and hence one was waiting for a movie that sets the tone for the year. Game Changer is the first film of the year and as a pan-India affair, it has seen an extensive release in Hindi as well.

Given the kind of advance booking that it was seeing till Thursday, it had seemed like the film would open in Rs. 4-5 crores range at best. However, the film has sprung a pleasant surprise as the first day numbers are far higher than what advance booking may have suggested. The Hindi version has opened at Rs. 8.64 crores and that’s actually a far bigger start than what seemed on the cards. It’s clear that after a fair start in the morning shows, positive word of mouth has caught up for the film and that’s what ensured good momentum post evening shows.

The reports are good for the Ram Charan starrer which means there would be growth today and tomorrow. At the very least, Rs. 30 crores will come for the film and the target would be surpass Devara (Hindi) weekend of Rs. 29.52 crores. The start has been a little better as Devara (Hindi) had opened at Rs. 7.95 crores and now the weekend trending should take it past it.

Note: All collections as per various box office sources