Box office: 'Bastar' shows slight improvement; struggles to gain momentum
Adah Sharma's latest political drama Bastar: The Naxal Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, had a disappointing start at the box office, earning a meager Rs. 40 lakh on its opening day (Friday). Released in direct competition with Sidharth Malhotra's action-packed film Yodha, Bastar faced stiff competition from the outset. However, there was a slight improvement in the film's collection on Saturday (day 2). Here's a breakdown of its commercial performance.
Why does this story matter?
Bastar marks the second collaboration between the troika of Sharma, director Sen, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah following their previous blockbuster hit The Kerala Story (2023). Despite negative reviews from critics, TKS earned Rs. 8.05cr on its opening day and eventually made Rs. 242.20cr during its theatrical run. In comparison, Bastar registered a significantly lower box office performance, with only 7.97% occupancy on Friday. With these numbers, it seems unlikely that it'll match TKS's incredible success.
'Bastar' failed to surpass Rs. 2cr mark in two days
Per Sacnilk, Bastar earned an estimated Rs. 75 lakh on Saturday, bringing the film's total earnings to Rs. 1.15cr. The film recorded an overall 12.58% Hindi occupancy, with the highest turnout observed during the night shows at 20.12%. In contrast, Yodha has already amassed Rs. 9.85cr in just two days. Both films face stiff competition from Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, and Jyotika's occult thriller, Shaitaan, which is inching closer to Rs. 100cr mark.
'Bastar's plot and cast details
Reportedly drawing inspiration from real-life incidents involving Naxals in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the film explores the ramifications of Naxalism on modern India spanning the last five decades. The film features an ensemble cast comprising Sharma, Indira Tiwari, Vijay Krishna, Shilpa Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, Subrat Dutta, and Raima Sen. Meanwhile, Bastar aside, Sharma has also been simultaneously active in the digital realm, recently starring in the web series Sunflower Season 2 alongside Sunil Grover.
'Not a propaganda film': Reaction of makers against controversy
Since its announcement, Bastar has been engulfed in controversy, with protests from some JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) students calling for action against the creators of the film. Reacting to the criticism of Bastar, Sharma told News18, "When you play a tough cop like Neerja Mathur in Bastar, I want people to think that I portrayed her in the strongest, most fearless and powerful way." Producer Shah also maintains that Bastar is "not a propaganda film."
