According to early projections, Imtiaz Ali’s latest movie Love Aaj Kal has received significant attention at the box office as only five days before its release; tickets are being sold out quickly. The young actors who star in this film, Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan drew widespread anticipation when they were announced as cast members of the story—which follows two college friends falling in love over time.
After the first few screenings on Wednesday morning alone, it had already beat recent releases such as Bala (which follows a widowed mother coming to terms with her daughter’s premarital pregnancy), Pati Patni Aur Woh (about marital strife between two married individuals) and Street Dancer (a story about an impoverished girl living through her teenage years). There are also no signs of slowing down for advance ticket bookings; especially since Tuesday was declared Payday, meaning many Indians would be interested in catching some entertainment within the next few days without waiting until Saturday or Sunday.
On account of Valentine’s Day, there was a partial holiday that also played in favor of the film. With the genre and tone of it appealing mainly to its target audience, this one could take off big time. It’s about time for a romantic comedy like ‘Love Aaj Kal,’ after so many action films, says an owner from the theatre chain who revealed how a majority of bookings came from couples paired together – mostly aisle or corner seats. College kids were picking up on this trend as well; a lot had been seen visiting theatres over the past few days since moviegoers were keeping their eye out for what would play next week when they’d be back in class again. It seemed spot bookments would do well too with all those college students skipping school to spend time with their new valentines.
Responses to the film’s trailer were divided. However, there are other factors at play including casting and an upcoming vacation which may boost its success. Multiplexes use this tactic so tickets will be more expensive than those for other films starring Kartik Aaryan or Ayushmann Khurrana. Cinema attendances in large metropolitan areas such as Mumbai or Delhi are doing well while attendance at smaller venues like Lucknow, Bihar, or Gujurat is also picking up. Whether the film earns Rs. 10 crore to 12 crore rupees is still unclear because advance booking numbers seem promising enough for them to earn a lot more when they finally open this Friday. All we can do now is wait and see how it does based on reviews because a good turnout of both critics and audiences will improve its chances for success.
