STREE 2 SCORES BEYOND EXPECTATIONS; KHEL KHEL MEIN, VEDAA MAKERS REGRET CLASHING WITH HORROR COMEDY
The three-way clash occurred on Independence Day last week. Stree 2 was expected to take a flying start. An opening of Rs. 35-40 crores would have been extraordinary for this film as it doesn’t have a huge star cast. But Stree 2 opened at Rs. 53.25 crores, a figure no one imagined in their wildest dreams. Moreover, this happened with fewer screens as some showcasing was given to Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa. If these two films were not there, Stree 2 might have opened at Rs. 60 crores. One must also remember that it also had paid previews when it collected Rs. 8.75 crores, the highest ever a film has collected in previews.
Stree 2 enjoyed a terrific word of mouth and also has repeat value. As a result, the collections remained rock steady; it earned Rs. 31.50 crores on Friday and Rs. 44.50 crores on Saturday. On Sunday, it collected more than Thursday – Rs. 57 crores. Since Monday was a holiday on account of Raksha Bandhan, it collected Rs. 37 crores. On Tuesday, a working day, the collections dropped to Rs. 25 crores but it’s still praiseworthy.
The first week’s collections are expected to be around Rs. 290 crores. With no competition this week and next, it’ll continue to score big time. Hence, a lifetime of more than Rs. 500 crores is expected.
Vedaa, meanwhile, opened at Rs. 6.25 crores. The word of mouth was not encouraging. As a result, it dropped to Rs. 2 crores on Friday, which sealed its fate. The makers had to implement a Buy One Get One ticket-free scheme to lure the viewers. It didn’t help much as the film collected Rs. 2.50 crores and Rs. 2.75 crores on Saturday and Sunday respectively. After the extended weekend ended, the collections fell below Rs. 1 crore from Tuesday. Its first week collections will be around Rs. 17.25 crores and now it’ll be a struggle for the film to cross the Rs. 25 crores mark. The makers have now asked cinemas to sell Vedaa’s tickets for Rs. 99 and Rs. 150.
Khel Khel Mein, on the other hand, opened lower than Vedaa at Rs. 5.75 crores. But it went ahead as its word of mouth was positive. Yet, the collections remained on the lower side. It collected Rs. 2.25 crores on Friday, Rs. 3.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 4 crores on Sunday. On Monday, the collections were Rs. 2 crores. The Tuesday and Wednesday earnings were in the Rs. 1 crore range. The collections of the first week will be around Rs. 20.40 crores.
What goes in favour of the film is that it’s holding steady in urban areas. In fact, it might continue to collect for a few weeks. Those who have seen Stree 2 already might watch this film later on. Yet, with the opening so low, the film at the most can have a lifetime of Rs. 30 crores or maybe it can reach the Rs. 35 crores mark.