Weekend Box Office Report: Emergency and Azaad struggle to find footing

New Delhi: This week, two Bollywood movies premiered in theatres on January 17 – Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency and Ajay Devgn’s Azaad. However, both failed to make an impact on the audience and at the box office. While Azaad marked the debut of Rasha Thadani and Aaman Devgn, Emergency was released after facing several challenges.

Let’s explore how both the films flared at the box office in its three-day run in theatres. Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency and Ajay Devgn’s Azaad, both, have failed to make an impression at the ticket window so far.

Weekend Box Office collection: Azaad VS Emergency

Azaad opened in theatres with a lackluster collection of Rs 1.5 crore and witnessed a further 10 per cent decline on its Day 2, collecting around Rs 1.34 crore, bringing the total to Rs 2.84. On its Day 3, the film minted only Rs 0.93 crore, as per early estimates. After a three-day collection, the film earned merely Rs 3.8 crore. According to trade analyst, Girish Wankhede, “Given these figures, it’s clear that Azaad is on track to be labelled a disaster, as it has fallen far short of industry expectations.

On the other hand, Emergency starring Kangana Ranaut, had a better opening than Azaad. The film collected Rs 7.63 crore in India, as per industry tracker Sacnilk. As per Girish, “While this figure is still not impressive, it represents a modest improvement compared to Kangana’s recent string of underperforming films.” On its opening day, the film collected Rs 2.5 crore. On its second day, it saw a growth of 30.80 per cent and minted Rs 3.42 crore. On Day 3, the film earned Rs 1.71 crore, bringing the film’s total to Rs 7.63 crore.

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Trade analyst further opined, “The increase can likely be attributed to the controversy surrounding the film, as well as mixed reviews that have generated some buzz and intrigue among audiences”, adding that while the numbers are “not spectacular”, it is “somewhat satisfactory given the context of Kangana’s previous releases”.

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Girish Wankhede also expressed, “Looking ahead, the sustainability of Emergency at the box office remains uncertain. The film’s subject matter and mixed reviews may pose challenges for its performance on its first Monday, as audience interest could wane. If the film can maintain or even slightly increase its collections on the following weekdays, it may strengthen its position and be deemed a satisfactory performer. However, if the numbers continue to decline, it will be difficult to view the film as anything other than a disappointment.”

Both the films, Emergency and Azaad, are struggling to resonate with the audience. While Emergency has shown some potential for growth, Ajay Devgn starrer has received harsh reception.