Box office: Raj Kundra's 'UT 69' delivers disastrous performance
What's the story
Businessman-turned-actor Raj Kundra has made his acting debut with UT 69.
The film is based on his time inside Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail as an undertrial before he was released on bail in a pornography case.
Released in theaters on Friday (November 3), the movie failed to deliver a good opening. Take a look at how UT 69 performed at the box office.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The Mumbai Police arrested Kundra in the pornography case in 2021 on the accusations of selling pornographic content for monetary gains.
Apart from Kundra, actors Sherlyn Chopra and Poonay Panday were also mentioned in the FIR and were accused in the case.
The businessman had spent a little over two months inside the jail before he was released on bail.
Details
Poor start for 'UT 69'
UT 69's box office report for Friday showed that it collected a mere Rs. 10 lakh (early estimates) on its opening day, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
The Kundra-led movie had an overall occupancy of 9.68%.
Sacnilk further reported that the majority of tickets were sold for the morning shows, followed by night, evening, and afternoon shows.
About 'UT 69'
Everything to know about the film
Besides debuting as an actor with UT 69, Kundra co-produced the film while Shahnawaz Ali directed it. Ali also co-wrote the dialogues and turned editor for the project.
It also features Mahadev Jadhav, Kumar Saurabh, Errol Rodrigues, and others in supporting roles.
Upon the film's release, his wife and actor, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, took to social media to call him a "natural" actor.
Friday box office
One of poorest Fridays for Bollywood
Many films hit the cinemas this Friday, including UT 69, Aankh Micholi, The Lady Killer, Shastry Viruddh Shastry, and Three of Us, but none worked.
Starring Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, and Abhimanyu Dassani, Aankh Micholi performed better than others, earning Rs. 20L.
Going by the collections, this Friday (November 3) emerged as one of the worst opening days for the film industry in 2023.
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