The much discussed and eagerly awaited Aamir Khan–starrer Laal Singh Chaddha finally released in cinemas on Thursday, August 11th. Directed by Advait Chandan and written by Atul Kulkarni, the film which also features Kareena Kapoor Khan is a remake of the Tom Hanks classic, Forrest Gump. In the run up to its launch, Laal Singh Chaddha caused a stir in the media, and with all the hype that had built up, people were expecting it to open to an impressive box office result. However, much to everyone’s surprise, the film opened on a rather low note, with it managing to only gross Rs. 11.70 crore on its first day. Following this disappointing beginning, the business of Laal Singh Chaddha witnessed a further dip on its second day.
Collecting Rs. 7.26 crore on its second day, Laal Singh Chaddha witnessed a drop of almost 38% from its first-day earnings. This downturn in its performance is thought to be due to Friday being a working day, combined with the mixed reviews from critics and lukewarm feedback from the audience. Interestingly, considering Aamir Khan’s impressive box office history, Laal Singh Chaddha is his third release in the last decade to observe a fall in collections on its second day. In 2013, Dhoom 3 earned Rs. 36.22 crore on its opening day and subsequently suffered a 8% decrease to Rs. 33.36 crore on day two. Similarly, 2018’s Thugs of Hindostan made Rs. 52.25 crore on its debut and subsequently saw a 44% reduction to Rs. 29.25 crore on its second day.
Despite Yash Raj Films’ production of Dhoom 3 not garnering great box office collections initially, it eventually ended its theatrical run at an astounding Rs. 284.27 cr, nearing the Rs. 300 cr mark and becoming classified as a blockbuster hit. Conversely, Yash Raj Films’ other production, Thugs of Hindostan, experienced a more challenging journey in theatres, closing with a total collection of Rs. 151.19 cr. These two examples evidently point to the important role that the ultimate reception from the audience had in rectifying the box office collections of these films.
Laal Singh Chaddha has taken a plunge at the box office, opening to an approximate of Rs. 11.70 cr which then decreased by a margin of 38% to Rs. 29.25 cr. Contrary to Dhoom 3, the film is receiving negative reviews from its audience, bringing it in comparison to Thugs of Hindostan that suffered the same fate. As one hopes that the coming weekend and Independence Day on Monday, would help in raising the revenues for the venture, its future remains uncertain, and depends upon the viewership from its patrons.
At present, Laal Singh Chaddha is facing the same dismal box office results as Thugs of Hindostan. Despite the massive publicity, build–up and efforts put into making the film, it has failed to draw the attention of movie–goers.
