Box office: Pankaj Tripathi's 'Main Atal Hoon' records slight rise
Ravi Jadhav-directed biopic, Main Atal Hoon, featuring Pankaj Tripathi as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was released theatrically on Friday. However, despite its ode to Vajpayee's extraordinary life and political career, it found only a few takers upon its arrival and opened at a meager Rs. 1.15cr. Although it recorded noticeable momentum on day two, the film still seems to be grasping at straws at the ticket window.
Why does this story matter?
With no major Hindi film releases this week, Main Atal Hoon faced minimal competition from Sriram Raghavan's thriller Merry Christmas, featuring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. Though Tripathi received acclaim for his performance, Main Atal Hoon generally received mixed reviews, leading to its scattershot commercial graph. Main Atal Hoon co-stars Piyush Mishra, Raja Rameshkumar Sevak, Daya Shankar Pandey, and Payal Nair. Following its theatrical run, it will stream on ZEE5.
Looking at 'Main Atal Hoon's numbers
According to updated figures by industry tracker Sacnilk, Main Atal Hoon raked in Rs. 2.1cr on Saturday (day 2), bringing its total earnings in India to Rs. 3.25cr. The film recorded an overall 13.48% Hindi occupancy. Main Atal Hoon's way will be tough from here on due to the competition it will face from Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone's aerial action drama Fighter, releasing on January 25.
Know more about 'Main Atal Hoon'
Co-written by Rishi Virmani and Jadhav, Main Atal Hoon is produced by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, with backing from Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, Sam Khan, and Kamlesh Bhanushali. Tripathi's portrayal—particularly mimicking Vajpayee's hand gestures during speeches and body language in casual conversations—has been praised for its authenticity. It's Tripathi's first of multiple releases of 2024, with Stree 2 and Metro....In Dono also slated to release later this year.
Tripathi on playing late PM Vajpayee
In an interview with ANI, Tripathi discussed his preparation for playing the late PM, a Bharat Ratna recipient. He noted that after studying Vajpayee's characteristics, he understood the immense respect the former Prime Minister commanded even from his fiercest critics. Tripathi shared, "I was wondering if I could do justice to this. But I have attended two of Vajpayee ji's political rallies. I went to listen to him, standing in the crowd five hundred meters away."
