A notable trend is being observed with the release of Bollywood films. Big ticket movies featuring a well–known superstar used to have a sure shot opening of more than Rs. 20 crores, but currently the opening figure has drastically reduced to a double digit score. On the other hand, the majority of mid-budget movies with a notable star cast that previously earned between Rs. 10-15 crores in its opening day, now starts at a much lower Rs. 3-5 crores. Finally, the niche themed movies which back then used to garner an opening of Rs. 3-5 crores at urban multiplexes, now hardly get Rs. 1-1.50 crores. This scenario clearly highlights the changes brought by the pandemic.
While HIT – The First Case is a modern take on a murder mystery with a focus on forensics, Shabaash Mithu is an inspiring sports drama with a reminiscent tone of Chak De! India and MS Dhoni – The Untold Story. Although both of these films are highly engaging, they are wrongly considered as Over The Top (OTT) movies in recent times. But, the magnitude of their stories and settings still remains intact and audiences should be the ultimate judges when they flock to the theatres this Friday. The most likely result for the opening day collection for both these movies is around Rs. 1-1.50 crores, after which its success would depend largely on word of mouth publicity.
