There are three new Hindi releases this week: Do Deewane Seher Mein, Assi and one AI-generated film, Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh. All three films failed to get a start, with combined collections of around Rs. 2.50 crore from three on over 9000 shows. Assi had the widest release of the three, while Do Deewane Seher Mein came up with higher collections.
Do Deewane Seher Mein collected Rs. 1.15-1.25 crore nett approx on its first day. This is a low number, but it’s not really a day one film and what matters more is how it does today on Saturday. If it manages to grow well over the weekend and then hold closer to Friday numbers on weekdays, it could have a run of sorts.
Assi collected around Rs. 1 crore nett approx on Friday, substantially lower than the openings of the previous collaboration of Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav Sinha, Thappad, which opened at Rs. 2.75 crore nett in 2020. Those were comparatively better times for the box office, particularly for films in this space. Post-COVID, with the OTT boom, the theatrical base has eroded, and non-event films have seen their business contract sharply. Thappad eventually went on to collect Rs. 30 crore nett approx, a figure that was viewed as below par by the trade at the time (trade tends to be stringent with such films). If that number was achieved today, it would likely be viewed far more favourably.
Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh was a non-starter, collecting around Rs. 20 lakh nett. The very fact that an AI film is not only given a theatrical release but also has an A-lister from the industry endorsing and promoting it is, quite frankly, appalling. The film may get some political support, which could lead to growth in business at some point, if at all.
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