Box office report card! With theatres finally open, will Bollywood end on a high note? Experts opine
While Sooryavanshi hit ticket windows with a bang, films that have had theatrical releases post it have not lived up to the hype. With theatres finally open, experts opine if the Bollywood Box Office will end on a high note.
Soumyabrata Gupta
Updated Dec 23, 2021 | 11:28 PM IST
Allu Arjun's Pushpa: The Rise crosses Rs. 300 crore in India, a first for the actor
Indian blockbusters that started Rs 100 crore and elite clubs at the box office
With Rs 11.50 crore nett at BO, Allu Arjun's Pushpa (Hindi) fourth week collections better than Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi
Ranveer Singh-starrer 83 finally enters Rs 100 crore club in third week
Sooryavasnhi has crossed Rs 190 crore at the box office
Upcoming films include Jersey and '83 both of which have huge potentials
Experts opine on whether the releases will help end Indian BO on high note
The Bollywood box office saw a period of lull for almost two years after theatres were shut down as a part of the larger schemes of lock down and social isolation to combat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, this affected the film industry as well, with many losing their livelihood and films getting stalled amid outbreaks and other pandemic-related problems. Thus it came as a pleasant surprise when Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi managed to break the lull. The first film to have a theatrical release in Maharashtra after the state government gave its nod to viewing of cinema in halls, the Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif-starrer has become one of the highest grossers of 2021 at ticket windows.
In his latest tweet, film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh has observed that Sooryavanshi has crossed Rs 190 crore at the box office, and has begun its journey towards the Rs 200 crore club. According to the analyst, the film has emerged as Rohit Shetty's fourth highest grosser, after Simmba, Chennai Express and Golmaal Again. While Sooryavanshi may have created box office history of sorts, other films which were waiting for theatrical releases and subsequently debuted on big screens (Bunty Aur Babli 2, Antim, Satyameva Jayate 2) failed to recreate the magic of Sooryavanshi. So, with theatres finally open, will Bollywood end on a high note? Here's what experts feel.
Critic and analyst Akshaye Rathi feels that it will definitely end on a high note, citing the potential of cinemas post the pandemic, with Sooryavanshi, which went on to become one of Akshay Kumar's biggest films ever. "There is a terrific lineup of releases ahead, including Spiderman, Pushpa, '83, Matrix, Kingsmen, RRR, Gangubai Kathiawad and more which have a lot of potential and am sure we will be closing the financial year on 31 March on a very high note."
Casting director Kunal M Shah too cites Sooryavanshi as a prime example of the pull of cinemagoers to theatres adding that while Antim has had a slow start, it too is picking up pace at ticket windows. "I am completely confident that the year will end on a very high note because even the trailer of Ranveer Singh's '83 created a lot of noise in the right way. Jersey too created a lot of buzz, being the first Shahid Kapoor film after 2019's Kabir Singh." According to Shah, both films are based on cricket – a subject which always sells in Bollywood, in India. "Both films will have huge openings and are very likely to do amazing business at the box office," he opines, adding, "It is a win-win situation for all and I think with '83's underdog story and Shahid Kapoor's acting prowess, these films will definitely pull at the heart strings of the audience."
Ranveer Singh's '83 shows a lot of promise
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh also feels that Bollywood will "definitely" end on a high note, adding that the month of December is always very crucial and there is a lot of interesting films lined up for the month. "While Bunty Aur Babli 2 did not work, Antim has done fairly well at the box office," the analyst says, adding that the future of the industry looks promising, given the releases that are lined up for December.
Antim
Film producer and trade business expert Girish Johar feels that we should have some closure at the box office at the end of 2021. "Sooryavanshi did show us a lot of promise at the ticket windows but we need to understand that the situation at the ground level is very dynamic and it is being affected by a lot of factors," he says.
Johar goes on to add, "The COVID scare is still there and then the content of the films that have released in these couple of weeks is not up to the mark. Moreover, because of the pandemic, OTT has surged ahead and the audience is getting to watch quality content at a low or no price at their homes. To draw them to cinemas, one definitely needs commercial, attractive films – content wise."
Ranveer Singh starrer 83 trailer to finally release on December 1
Johar also harps on the fact that the new strain of coronavirus also might act as a deterrent, keeping the audience away from cinema halls. However, he adds that the films which are in the pipeline, have the potential to draw the audience to the theatres and help end 2021 with a bang.
Bollywood box office
gangubai kathiawad
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