'Sarfira' posts second lowest opening weekend for Akshay Kumar
What's the story
Akshay Kumar's latest film, Sarfira, has recorded his second-lowest opening weekend in recent years, garnering a total of ₹11.85 crore India net. Only Selfiee scored lower (₹10.3cr) than Sarfira.
Despite a sluggish start, the movie saw an increase in box office earnings over the weekend.
Industry tracker Sacnilk reports that the Sudha Kongara-directed film experienced a 70% surge on its second day (Saturday), collecting ₹4.25 crore, and an additional 20% growth on its third day (Sunday), amassing ₹5.1 crore.
Regional response
'Sarfira' faces crucial Monday test, performance varies across cities
Sarfira's future at the box office hinges on its performance on Monday.
The film had an overall occupancy of 26.46% in the Hindi belt on Sunday, with approximately 41.55% of the audience attending the evening show.
According to Sacnilk, Sarfira performed best in cities like Chennai (40.75% occupancy), followed by Pune (33.50%), Ahmedabad (32.25%), Bengaluru (29%), Mumbai (28.25%), Lucknow (28%), and Jaipur (27.25%).
Career low
'Sarfira' marked lowest opening day in Kumar's 15-year career
Sarfira, a Hindi remake of the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2020), opened at just ₹2.5 crore, marking the lowest opening day of Kumar's career in the last 15 years.
This figure is lower than his previous releases Mission Raniganj (₹2.8 crore), Selfiee (₹2.55 crore), and Raksha Bandhan (₹8.2 crore).
Since the release of Laxmii in 2020, only two films have turned a profit for Kumar: Sooryavanshi (2021) and OMG 2 (2023).
Box office rivalry
'Sarfira' competes with Kamal Haasan's 'Indian 2' at box office
Sarfira, produced on a budget of ₹100 crore, was released against Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 at the box office.
Indian 2, directed by S Shankar and made on a budget of ₹250 crore, opened at ₹25.6 crore and collected ₹18.2 crore and ₹15.1 crore on its second and third days respectively, totaling ₹58.9 crore according to Sacnilk.
The question remains whether Sarfira can pass the Monday test and maintain growth in its box office collection.