Despite the release of seven new films on Friday, it was Neerja which led the pack all over again. The film’s screen count has almost doubled from last week to around 4000 across the country, which means it has over 75% market share already in terms of visibility and reach. The film went on to collect 3.15 crore more on its second Friday and as a result stands at 38.47 crore mark. The film is set to jump big today and tomorrow and it won’t be surprising if the 50 crore* milestone is crossed within 10 days. Fox is going all out to ensure that the film adds on to being one of the most prestigious Hits in their repertoire.
Amongst the new release, Aligarh got all around unanimous appreciation from one and all. The Hansal Mehta film has made an impression in the festival circuit already and the commercial gains would be an added bonus for the Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao starrer. Though its collections were in the range of 50 lakhs*, one can expect some decent jumps over the weekend. One has to credit Eros though for giving the film a good, respectable release.
Sonam Kapoor in a still from Neerja
Tere Bin Laden – Dead or Alive took a better opening due to its commercial appeal. The sequel factor had helped in its visibility but somehow the makers didn’t harness its potential to the fullest during marketing. The reviews have stayed decent to good while audience feedback isn’t bad either. With 1 crore* coming in on Day 1, the film would need to make rapid jumps in days to come so that it has a respectable week.
Bollywood Diaries was the other notable release of the week and arrived in very select theaters. The reviews have been decent to good, though from opening perspective it had mighty competition from Neerja and the new releases. The collections have been very minimal.
Love Shagun and Rhythm have not managed to find any traction whatsoever and couldn’t see much of a release. In fact they were not even reviewed by most publications and websites. The films have proven to be a washout on Day One itself.
* Final numbers awaited
Note: All collections as per production and distributor sources
