Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Manto; Box-Office Collection Day 1: Shahid Kapoor's Film Hasn't Sparkled. Nawazuddin's Dimming?
Check out the first day box-office collection of Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam starrer Batti Gul Meter Chalu and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Manto
Shree Narayan Singh’s
Batti Gul Meter Chalu starring Shahid Kapoor, Sharddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam
has failed to have a thunderimg start. However, it has fair earnings on day
one. Nandita Das’ directorial Manto is witnessing less collection and now it will
have to pick up speed to compensate.
Trade analyst Taran Adrash tweeted Batti Gul
Meter Chalu. and Manto’s collections and wrote, “#BattiGulMeterChalu has a low
Day 1, despite partial holiday... Biz will have to multiply two-fold or
three-fold on Day 2 and Day 3 for a respectable weekend total... Fri ₹ 6.76 cr.
India biz. #BGMC.” While Box Of India report suggests, Manto has earned 45-50
lakhs on the first day.
SpotboyE.com Editor Vickey Lalwani rated the
Batti Gul Meter Chalu 2.5 stars and wrote, “There's a crooked lawyer, Shahid
Kapoor (extortionist in the first half I would say). There's an aspiring
fashion designer, Shraddha Kapoor. There's a factory owner, Divyendu Sharma.
There's a lawyer, Yami Gautam. But where's the electrician who was so direly
needed to fix the umpteen voltage fluctuations that the story-telling has?
Shree Narayan Singh, who was fine with his craftsmanship in Toilet: Ek Prem
Katha, fails to make Batti Gul Meter Chalu hold your attention throughout. The
second half, in particular, is too comical to digest for a portrayal of the
burning problem of electricity thefts and high bills which is the premise of
the film. So obviously, a restrained and intense actor like Shahid Kapoor ends
up hamming in portions. Yami Gautam, who had caught the eye in Kaabil, needs to
give an explanation on why she took up this role which introduces her when you
are squirming in your seat for the film to culminate. Shraddha Kapoor is fine
and the role between Shahid and Divyendu suits her." Nearly Rs 7 crore is
not bad on opening day but had Narayan handled the film sensitively, we would
have seen maybe Rs 10-11 crore on the scoreboard.
On the other hand, he rated the Nawazuddin
Siddiqui starrer 4 stars and opined, “Nandita Das has got into the life
of Saadat Hasan Manto for a reason. This filmmaker is perturbed, err, grossly
disturbed, that why is the freedom of expression being curbed left, right and
centre today. The filmmakers is grossly disturbed at how caste and in
particular, religion has divided us into messy parts (and surprisingly not on social
media. Right, ND?). So, Saadat is rewinded and every word he writes provides
him only suffocation from those who matter, so much so that his marriage goes
almost dead and his daughter almost dies. Yes, that's what happens if your
freedom of expression is snatched. And Nandita ends the film with a few words
of gold from Javed Akhtar and a few messages written across the screen, which
tantamount to: 'Speak up, your lips and tongue are only yours'. Anymore
validation that the lady is not at peace?" Manto looks yet another case of
good content not translating into good numbers. Nandita Das has made a
beautiful film that deserves to be seen.
Well, let’s wait and watch how both films
perform today and tomorrow. Not going to be easy as it is Ganpati Visarjan
tomorrow. Pircha varshi, lavkariya!
