Box office: No takers for Kapil Sharma-Shahana Goswami's drama 'Zwigato'
Shutters may have already been closed for Kapil Sharma-Shana Goswami's drama Zwigato, which was released theatrically on Friday. The Nandita Das directorial revolves around the repercussions of the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic scenario and traces Manas Singh's life, who works as a food delivery agent, his job having been devoured by the pandemic. However, the film failed to draw any audience on its first day.
Why does this story matter?
The film marks a departure from Sharma's usual comedian image and shows him as a frustrated, restless man who is the victim of his circumstances and enslaved by the lack of opportunities. The movie—which falls into the art film category rather than the commercial one—had its world premiere at the 47th edition of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival last year in September.
'Zwigato' earned Rs. 40L on day one
As per reports, the film wasn't able to mint even half a crore on its first day and crashed at just Rs. 40 lakh. However, since the drama opened to positive reviews, it is expected to find some audience over the weekend. Sharma also has a huge fanbase across India, thanks to his long-standing comedy shows, and that might help Zwigato find ground, too.
What reasons triggered low numbers
Zwigato clashed with Rani Mukerji's emotional drama, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, and resultantly, the screens were divided, which impacted the business of both movies. Moreover, the slow-paced movie may appeal to the OTT audience, but it is tough to pull the audience to the theaters for an art film. Previously, too, such movies have fallen flat at the box office, despite positive word-of-mouth.
Here's everything else you need to know about 'Zwigato'
While Goswami and Sharma carry the movie on their shoulders, Swanand Kirkire, Sayani Gupta, and Gul Panag are seen in special appearances. The movie has been bankrolled by Applause Entertainment and Nandita Das Initiatives. Das had earlier said that Zwigato was "a story about new urban India that is not just about the gig economy, but also about everything that we normalize around us."
