The big box office clash of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ and ‘Rustom’ has created quite a stir in the Hindi film industry. Both the movies have opened to mix reviews and both the lead actos have garnered appreciation.
As the young Sarman, Hrithik Roshan shone in the period drama ‘Mohenjo Daro’. Viewers have said that they were in awe of his acting skills, and the action sequences too were breathtaking.
Likewise, viewers also sung praises for Akshay Kumar in ‘Rustom’. As the disciplined and honourable naval commander being tried for the murder of his wife’s lover, Akshay managed to strike a chord with the viewers.
Such reviews ascertain that both of these big movies are riding on the name of their protagonists. It is the stardom of both Akshay and Hrithik which will draw audience to the theatres and then translate it to box office numbers.
Early estimates point out that on the first day ‘Rustom’ will defeat ‘Mohenjo Daro’ by quite a margin. It is being suggested by trade experts that ‘Rustom’ which opened in 2317 screens in India will mint close to Rs 15 crores on the first day. The movie which saw a release in 550+ screens abroad has already done good business in the UAE.
Trade analyst Komal Nahta went ahead to tweet that ‘Rustom’ might become the third highest opener of this year following ‘Sultan’ and ‘Fan’.
Going by these estimates, the movie which sees an extended weekend will mint close to Rs 50- 51 crore in the first week itself.
On the other hand, reports have not been favourable for ‘Mohenjo Daro’. The early morning shows of this Ashutosh Gowariker directorial were devoid of viewers. Though the movie saw a wider release than ‘Rustom’; it failed to get footfall in the theatres. UTV motion pictures ensured that ‘Mohenjo Daro’ gets all the single screen releases making the screen count go up to 3000 in India.
Despite this strategy, ‘Mohenjo Daro’ is estimated to earn around Rs 8- 9 crore on the first day. The weekend collections will mount to around Rs 25 crore, suggest experts.
While these estimates point out that Akshay is in for a winner, clarity on these will be achieved only when the final numbers surface.
