Brahmastra Records Best Advance Booking in Bollywood Since War

Ahead of its release this week, the Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, has seen a surge in interest and advance booking trends suggest the film will have an excellent opening. 

According to Bollywood Hungama, Brahmastra has sold over 65,000 tickets across the country. This is the best advance booking since War (2019) starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. Pinkvilla reported as of Tuesday night, almost 1 lakh tickets had been sold in three national chains (INOX, PVR and Cinepolis), which was marginally lower than the numbers recorded by RRR and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (both released in 2022). There have been concerns about Brahmastra’s prospects because the film is the latest big release to be targeted by online trolling. The hashtag “Boycott Brahmastra” has been trending regularly on social media. The last film to face a similarly hostile reaction was Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), which failed at the box office. However, industry experts pointed out that it was unlikely that social media trends were to blame for Laal Singh Chaddha’s commercial performance.

In Brahmastra’s case, the online campaign against the film and its stars does not appear to have impacted its opening. Industry experts believe the Kapoor starrer might collect between Rs. 18 crore to Rs. 19 crore on its opening day. They’ve pointed out that the film’s trailer and songs sparked more interest compared to those of other releases. 

There’s a lot of expectation from Brahmastra, which comes after a string of flops for Bollywood. The fantasy adventure film is an expensive project, with a budget of approximately Rs. 400 crore, and the first part of a trilogy. The fact that it is a franchise in the making may work in its favour. Speaking to India Today, exhibitor Akshay Rathi said, “If you draw a parallel, Marvel has a multiverse in which multiple characters come in and go out, and multiple stories are told. That’s exactly what the makers are trying to do here. If this film works, then a franchise will be created. It will be a property that will keep making money for years. That’s the level of investment that’s gone into it.”