Vidya Balan-starrer Begum Jaan, which is set in the backdrop of late Indian Independence period of 1948, had a dull first day at tickets windows.
SpotboyE.com parked itself outside popular suburban theatres including PVR Icon (Andheri), Fun Republic (Andheri), Citi Mall (Andheri) and The Hub (Goregaon) this morning to get a sense of what the audience thinks of the film.
First things first. Most of the aforementioned theatres were craving for a respectable turnout. A couple of halls even made sure that they didn't have Begum Jaan for the early morning (9 am) shows and decided to slot the first show for noon.
Image Source: youtube/visheshfilms
On enquiring, it became clear the management was of the opinion that Begum Jaan wouldn’t attract a large crowd in the morning, thus, preferred showcasing the big budget Hollywood release Fast And Furious 8 for that slot.
The theatres saw 22-25% footfalls for the morning and matinee shows, which isn't great for any film. However, audience coming out after having watched the film had some good things to say about the partition drama. Everyone unanimously praised Vidya Balan, Gauahar Khan and Chunky Pandey for their performances.
Few were of the opinion that Begum Jaan is patchy making it difficult for viewers to be able to relate to it.
While the public at the cinema halls we met (SEE VIDEO ABOVE) was all praise for the cast performances and the storyline, let’s take a look at what trade experts and theatre owners have to say about the film's opening and prospects.
Ravi Sibal, General Manger, PVR Juhu said, "The footfalls are low for the morning shows. Let's hope there is some good word-of-mouth publicity for the film, which helps it grow through the week. Simply put there is 'No Jaan In This Begum Jaan'."
Image Source: youtube/visheshfilms
Trade analyst and film distributor Akshaye Rathi said, "I can call Begum Jaan a non-starrer. It's no Dabangg or Sultan that it will give you a huge box-office opening. It will grow over the week on word-of-mouth. A 20-22% occupancy in the morning shows is good for such a release, and I hope it will grow as the week progresses."
Single screen owner Manoj Desai had a rosy picture to put forth. He said, "Both my theatres Gaiety Galaxy and Maratha Mandir are full. Audiences have come in huge numbers for the morning shows, and I am sure the afternoon shows reports won't disappoint either. Also the Hollywood film, Fast & Furious 8 has got fantastic footfalls."
Undoubtedly, Begum Jaan has a tough competitor in Fast & Furious 8. It's a well-known franchise with a huge fan following. Its opening day yesterday (for the paid previews) fetched more than Rs 8 crore at the box-office, that too only when the movie was released just after 3 pm.
Stay hooked to SpotboyE.com for the first day collections of Begum Jaan tomorrow morning.
Thumbnail Image Source: instagram/visheshfilms