'R...Rajkumar' earns 30.45 crore in the opening weekend

Posted By: Daliya Ghose On Monday, 09th December 2013,10:12

While the latest offering by Shahid Kapoor received a rather mild response from the critics, the film is doing very well at the box office. Director Prabhu Deva and lead actors Sonakshi and Shahid can easily count this film among their successes. According to BoxofficeIndia, “R… Rajkumar had good opening day collections of around Rs 8.75-9 crore as per early estimates. The film has collected around Rs 30.45 crores at the Indian Box Office in the opening weekend. The breakup is Rs 10.20 cr on Friday, Rs 9.50 cr on Saturday and Rs 10.75 cr on Sunday.

The film collected very well in some circuits like Mumbai, CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar and Nizam while some like Delhi/UP, East Punjab and Mysore under performed. The collections in single screens were excellent and far far ahead of any Shahid Kapoor starrer. The overall opening is also the highest for any Shahid Kapoor starrer beating the Rs 6.75 crore of Mausam released in 2011.

Though the film is not enjoying as good a run at the multiplexes, exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi said “If you measure them against the performance of Shahid Kapoor’s previous films, the collections of R...Rajkumar should give Eros & Prabhu Deva a reason to throw a bash to celebrate right away! The film has opened fairly at the single screens all over but has unfortunately been deprived of a significant audience at the multiplexes. Going by the response to the film and the business, the film should comfortably become Shahid’s highest grosser till date.”

The film opened with an average of 50% occupancy. Compared to ‘Bullet Raja’ that was released a week before, the film has performed better. While this film earned 9.5 crores on opening day according to Koimoi.com, ‘Bullet Raja’ earned 7.5 crores on the opening day. The film has also easily surpassed the last film of Shahid Khan, ‘Phata poster nikhla hero’ which earned 6 crore on the opening day. Add in the factor that the film is a non holiday release, it is indeed doing quite well.

The film is thus off to a roaring start despite critics finding it insipid and meaningless. Many of them gave it zero to two stars. However, the audience has expressed the appreciation for the film through the social media. As Rathi explains, “With due respect to critics, the opinion of an individual doesn’t have to be the same as the public’s in every case. If someone hasn’t liked it, he is entitled to his opinion, but that cannot change the fortunes of a film.”