Shah Rukh Khan’s 'Zero' recorded lesser occupancy than Salman Khan’s 'Race 3' and Aamir Khan’s 'Thugs Of Hindostan' on Day 1
Shah Rukh Khan's much-anticipated film 'Zero' starring Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif finally released on December 21. It got released in 5965 screens across the world, with 4380 being in India.
As per film critic and trade analyst Sumit Kadel, 'Zero' registered an average occupancy of up to 45-50% in the morning shows. Salman Khan's 'Race 3' and Aamir Khan's 'Thugs Of Hindostan' may have been rated among the worst films of 2018 but they recorded better occupancies on Friday than SRK's content-driven 'Zero'. According to Box Office India, 'Race 3' had opened to 50-55% occupancy in the morning shows while 'Thugs' was further ahead with 70%.
Considering Shah Rukh Khan's film has been made on a hefty Rs. 2 billion, a lot rides on Aanand L Rai's shoulders. King Khan's last release 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' (2017) suffered losses and collected a total amount of only Rs 64.33 crore in India. Rahul Dholakia’s 'Raees' did enter the Rs 100-crore club with a collection of Rs 137.51 crore but failed to match up to the success of SRK’s earlier films.
The actual Day 1 figures are yet awaited but considering the film has released on a usual Friday, it's fate will heavily rely on the word of mouth. It may however see a pump in footfall on Tuesday because of the Christmas holiday.
“Being a non-holiday Friday, the film is expected to earn something between Rs 25-27 crore. Clocking around 3500 screens, everything is going well for SRK. His character Bauaa Singh has become a household name because of a well-crafted promotion strategy,” trade analyst Girish Johar told IndianExpress.
While 'Zero' may not be able to overtake Thugs of Hindostan's historic opening collection of Rs 50 crore, it is expected to earn in the range of Rs 25-30 crore on Day 1.
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Other thing that must be kept in mind is that Rohit Shetty's 'Simmba' starring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan is scheduled to release next weekend, leaving only a week for 'Zero' to make the most of it. Shetty's action-packed films usually tend to do well at the box office.
'Zero' showcases the story of a vertically-challenged man named Bauua Singh, who falls in love with a specially-abled scientist named Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder (played by Anushka Sharma). The film also stars Katrina Kaif as an alcoholic actress named Babita Kumari, who is described as "Hindustan ka sapna" in the film's trailer.
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