Box office: Manoj Bajpayee's 'Bhaiyya Ji' sees second-day spike
Bhaiyya Ji, Manoj Bajpayee's 100th film directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, saw a 35% increase in box office collections on its second day. After a slow start on Friday, the film managed to earn ₹1.75cr on Saturday, bringing the total collection to just over ₹3cr within two days of its release. This limited growth indicates that Bajpayee's film might find it difficult to hold its ground over the weekdays.
Why does this story matter?
In a significant move, Bajpayee and his wife Shabana stepped into the realm of production with Bhaiyya Ji. Directed by Karki, who previously collaborated with Bajpayee on Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (available on ZEE5), the film also marks a reunion between Bajpayee and producer Vinod Bhanushali. Despite featuring standout performances by Suvinder Vicky, Jatin Goswami, Vipin Sharma, and Zoya Hussain, the movie has been panned due to its outdated plot.
Momentum challenges for 'Bhaiyya Ji'
According to Sacnilk, Bhaiyya Ji added ₹1.75cr on Saturday, bringing its two-day total to ₹3.1cr. The film enjoyed a 12.52% occupancy in Hindi markets on Day 2. Despite the initial growth, Bhaiyya Ji might face challenges in maintaining its momentum during the weekdays. The film's performance suggests it may struggle to reach ₹10cr in its full run, which would put it on par with another action flick, Crakk (currently available on Disney+ Hotstar).
'Bhaiyya Ji' and 'Srikanth' in box office competition
In contrast to Bhaiyya Ji, another Hindi film, Rajkummar Rao-led Srikanth—released on May 10—experienced a 100% increase in collections from the third Friday to the third Saturday. Giving stiff competition to Bajpayee's film, the biographical drama, chronicling the life of visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla, is poised to be the most preferred Hindi film for the third consecutive weekend. On Day 15, it added ₹2cr to its collection, bringing the total revenue to ₹34.65cr.
'I feel proud of the film': Bajpayee
Discussing the project, Bajpayee previously shared, "When Karki heard this story, he said that he would make this film with me. I replied, 'Let's talk to some other hero.' But he insisted, saying, 'You should do this film.'" "I agreed and said it would have been fine if I had done such a film 10 years ago. But today, now that this film has been made, I feel proud," he added.
