The Kashmir Files and Bachchhan Paandey to clash at box office
Highlights
- Reportedly, the screen count for Bachchhan Paandey has suffered because of The Kashmir Files
- The Kashmir Files is looking to end its first week collections on a high of Rs 95 crore plus
- The advance bookings for The Kashmir Files is huge going into the weekend
On Thursday, The Kashmir Files continued to script box office history. It collected Rs 18.05 crore, continuing its dream run at the ticket window after releasing on March 11. The business of the Anupam Kher and Darshan Kumar-starrer is refusing to subside and is in fact on an upward trajectory ever since Monday. This film has busted all the myths at the box office and is witnessing overwhelming support from the audience. The movie has been declared tax-free in several states across India as love continues to pour in.
Its first-week collections stand at an impressive Rs 97.30 crore, as per trade analyst Taran Adarsh. The dream run of The Kashmir Files continues as other releases get washed away in the tsunami that this release has caused. In emerging the first choice of cinema-goers, It has trampled on the business of Gangubai Kathiawadi and Prabhas' Radhe Shyam.
On March 18, Akshay Kumar's Bachchhan Paandey will be hitting the screens. Earlier, it was anticipated that this 'mass-entertainer' will be setting the box office on fire as it is a festive release. However, the unprecedented reaction of the audience towards The Kashmir Files has cast a shadow of doubt over the collections of Bachchhan Paandey. BOI report predicts that this new release will be facing a tough time in competing with The Kashmir Files. The collections of The Kashmir Files are only going to rise and chances are that it will be a bad sign for Akshay's film. Reportedly, a large number of cinemas are single screens and their owners are now in no mood of replacing The Kashmir Files. As a result, the screen count of Bachchhan Paandey has suffered.
Another problem for Bachchhan Paandey is the forthcoming release RRR. As it competes with The Kashmir Files, in a week's time, it will have to pave the way for SS Rajamouli's RRR, which is a pan-India film. This means that it has little time to mint whatever collections it can. The BOI report says that advance bookings for Bachchhan Paandey are very low, in the range of Rs 2.50 crore, and most of the audiences will be turning to The Kashmir Files this weekend.
Given all the riders, Bachchhan Paandey will need a miracle of sorts to survive at the box office. Meanwhile, the advance booking of The Kashmir Files is historic. This is the film which started its box office run with Rs 3.50 crore last Friday. Where the lifetime collections of this film will end up only time will tell but one thing is for certain it is a certified blockbuster by any given standard.
