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Industry experts welcome the figure as suggestive of better days for the movie industry hit hard by the pandemic-induced lockdown
Are film buffs returning to the movie theatres? After the Union home ministry threw open the doors of movie halls to 100% occupancy on February 1, data trickling in seem to suggest so.
John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi-starrer ‘Mumbai Saga’ that was released last Friday, March 19, made a box office collection of Rs 8.74 crore in the first weekend, according to industry expert Taran Adarsh.
The collections on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were Rs 2.82 crore, Rs 2.40 crore and Rs 3.52 crore respectively.
This was the highest box office collection since full occupancy was allowed by the government.
“#MumbaiSaga jumps, witnesses an upward trend on day 3. Single screens/mass circuits show healthy gains. #Covid pandemic has played spoilsport. All eyes on weekdays. Fri 2.82 cr, Sat 2.40 cr, Sun 3.52 cr. Total Rs 8.74 cr. #India Biz” tweeted Adarsh.
Mumbai Saga is a crime thriller directed by Sanjay Gupta, whose earlier projects included thrillers such as ‘Kaabil’, ‘Shootout at Wadala’ and ‘Kaante’ previously.
Significantly, the first weekend collection of Mumbai Saga is 20% of the Rs 43 crore that was earned at the box office by Batla House, a movie released in August 2019 in which Abraham was the hero.
Since February when full seat occupancy was allowed, about half a dozen significant films released in Bollywood. But according to box office data, none of those films could match the collection of Mumbai saga.
This gangster thriller was scheduled to release in the second half of 2020 but was delayed due to the lockdown.
Whether the audience are returning to movie halls will be keenly watched in Q4 (January-March quarter). Though the Q3 figures of the economy released on February 26 recorded a growth of 0.4% after two successive quarters of contraction, the service sector recorded a negative growth.
Two movies — Saina, based on the biography of shuttler Saina Nehwal, and starring Parineeti Chopra and Pagglait that stars Sanya Malhotra — are supposed to be released on March 26.