‘Drishyam 2’ to close box office run at Rs. 235 crore

Ajay Devgn’s mystery thriller ‘Drishyam 2’ is likely to end its box office run with collections of Rs. 235 crore, according to trade website Box Office India. With $7 million picked up overseas, this will mean a Rs. 340 crore plus gross worldwide total for the film, the second best post the pandemic after the Rs. 400 crore of ‘Brahmastra’.

In its first week, the film was performing best in Mumbai and Gujarat and had only dipped 10% on weekdays as compared to the opening weekend. The Mumbai circuit now stands at collections of Rs. 93 crore and since week seven, earnings in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have also been closer to Mumbai on a daily basis. Even East Punjab is recording excellent collections now, Box Office India said.

The past few weeks have not brought good news for Bollywood at the box office. Even the festival season this year, topped by the Diwali weekend, could not light up the box office for Hindi cinema which saw business down nearly 50% when compared with pre-covid years. Two big films ‘Ram Setu’ and ‘Thank God’ garnered weak collections, together making a little over Rs. 100 crore at last count. Before covid, it was common for two big films to clock at least Rs. 200 crore on a festival weekend.

On Diwali 2019, ensemble comedy ‘Housefull 4’ had made Rs. 205.60 crore at the box office, supplemented by the release of smaller films like ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ and ‘Made in China’. In 2018, Yash Raj Films’ period drama ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ released around Diwali had earned Rs. 48.27 crore on its first day. In contrast, ‘Ram Setu’ and ‘Thank God’ had opened to Rs. 15 crore and Rs. 7.50 crore this year. ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ had slowed down later though.