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Star cast: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika & Janki Bodiwala
Director: Vikas Bahl
Producers: Ajay Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, Kumar Mangat Pathak & Abhishek Pathak
Shaitaan Box Office Review: Pre-Release Buzz & Impression
Ever since the announcement was made, Shaitaan managed to keep momentum in its favor. It was made clear that the film is an official remake of 2023’s Gujarati film, Vash. We have seen that being a remake is a big minus in the post-pandemic era, but it still works if done smartly. While films like Jersey, Vikram Vedha, and Bholaa failed, Drishyam 2 was a huge success due to the unavailability of the Hindi dubbed version of the original film. This same thing seems to be working for Ajay’s latest release.
For a film that isn’t a completely front-loaded affair, the trailer plays a very crucial role in attracting the attention of the neutral audience, and luckily, Shaitaan saw a positive impact due to its powerful trailer. Ajay has always been a treat in serious roles, and even in this promo, he looked really intriguing. Leaving aside Devgn, R Madhavan was that X factor that grabbed more attention. So, the overall casting and the concept of black magic looked enticing enough.
The powerful trailer helped build a good buzz, which was clearly translated into the advance booking. Earlier, Shaitaan was projected to take a decent start by staying below 10 crores, but after the trailer hit the bull’s eye, the film put itself in a position to get closer to Drishyam 2’s start (15.38 crores) and carve a space to be a big money spinner.
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Shaitaan Box Office Review: Initial Start, Positives & Negatives
Earlier today, we covered the final update on the advance booking for day 1 and even the occupancy report. It clearly hinted at a solid start, and that’s what exactly happened. Shaitaan is enjoying a good response in multiplexes across the country in tier 1 and tier 2 cities. Regions like Mumbai, NCR, and Bengaluru, especially, are going smoothly.
Generally, it’s a common box office norm that for a Bollywood film, which is mostly targeted towards the urban audience, the opening day comes slightly higher than the double the advance booking numbers. So, for Shaitaan, day 1 will definitely be higher than 10 crores, with 4.20 crores gross coming from the advance booking alone. However, the Mahashivratri factor will take it closer to the mark of 15 crores.
Talking about the positives of the film, Shaitaan is mostly enjoying positive reviews from critics, and word-of-mouth has been in favor of it so far. This will definitely help to close the opening day on a rocking note. With positivity all around, there’s a scope of a big jump tomorrow and on Sunday. So, an impressive opening weekend score of close to the mark of 50 crores seems achievable. Don’t be surprised if the number crosses even 50 crores in just 3 days.
Another thing that’s working in favor is that there’s no major upcoming competition in front of the film until Ajay’s own Maidaan and Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan arrive in theatres during Eid. Yes, there are films like Yodha, Bastar, and Crew, which might surprise us, but they won’t have any major impact on this horror thriller.
Talking about negatives, Shaitaan is a horror thriller, a genre that hasn’t tasted huge box office success and has a restricted audience base. So, even though the film will be a winner, the final collection won’t be that huge. Also, there’s less scope for repeat audiences.
The content of the film isn’t suitable enough for mass centers, so a considerable chunk of business will be lost. Drishyam 2 scored well due to its sequel factor, but in this case, it’s a standalone new film.
Also, Ajay Devgn’s films generally do well in the state of Gujarat, but since Shaitaan is a remake of a Gujarati film, there’s a doubt about its box office reception in the state.
Shaitaan Box Office Review: Final Verdict
On the whole, Shaitaan is a winning package, but the limitations of the genre and the lack of mass elements restrict the overall outcome. Still, it is expected to earn 110-130 crores at the Indian box office in the lifetime run, thus making it Ajay Devgn’s first winner in 2024 and the 13th 100 crore net grosser in his career.
A solid comeback after Bholaa’s failure!
Must Read: Maidaan Trailer Impact At Box Office Day 1: Aiming To Enter Ajay Devgn’s Top 3 Openers Of All Time!
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