'Bhediya' Day 1 box office: Varun-Kriti starrer makes Rs. 12cr
What's the story
One of the highly anticipated Bollywood movies, Bhediya, hit theaters on Friday.
Directed by Amar Kaushik, the comedy horror film features Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles.
It earned Rs. 12.6cr on its opening day at the worldwide box office, according to the makers.
But did Bhediya manage to outperform the massive hit that is Drishyam 2?
Let's find out.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Bhediya has been receiving a decent response from fans and critics. And the horror-comedy genre has mostly worked out well for Bollywood.
With the mammoth success of this year's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, it looks like this genre clicks with Bollywood fans.
But since Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 2 has been performing exceptionally well, Bhediya is facing stiff competition at the box office.
Details
What 'Bhediya' makers said about the collections
A statement from the makers about the movie's first-day collections read, "Creature Comedy #Bhediya opened to Rs. 12.06 crore gross box office worldwide on Friday, Day One (sic)."
They shared a poster of the movie on Instagram featuring the lead actors to announce the opening day numbers on social media.
They captioned the post, "#Bhediya howling strong at the box office."
Conflict
Analysts report an underwhelming response
However, analysts have reported that the film did not witness good footfalls.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, "#Bhediya opens way below the mark on Day 1, despite favorable word of mouth."
"Reported better occupancy during evening/night shows, which gives it a chance to gather momentum... Biz needs to multiply on Day 2 for a healthy weekend total... Fri Rs. 7.48cr. #India biz," he added.
Box office
How is ‘Drishyam 2’ performing?
Even eight days after its release, Drishyam 2 has been performing exceptionally well.
The movie made Rs. 7.87cr on its eighth day at the Indian box office, which is more than what the trade analysts reported about Bhediya's opening day domestic collections.
So far, the movie has made more than Rs. 112.5cr at the box office.
Drishyam 2 also stars Tabu and Shreya Saran.