<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Despite the star wattage of A-listers Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, the underwhelming box office performance of \u201cForrest Gump\u201d adaptation \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha\u201d and \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d respectively, have set the alarm bells ringing in Bollywood.<\/p>\n
Both films released on Aug. 11. The date was tailor-made for \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d a film about brother-sister relationships, as it coincided with the festival of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates siblinghood. Headlined by Kumar, one of India’s most bankable stars, the movie, which was made on a budget of approximately $9 million, has collected some $6 million in a week of release, according to industry estimates.<\/p>\n
More from Variety<\/strong><\/p>\nThe numbers are starker for \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha.\u201d Khan headlined three of India’s all-time box office champions, including No. 1 \u201cDangal\u201d ($311 million); no. 6 \u201cSecret Superstar\u201d ($154 million), by \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha\u201d director Advait Chandan; and No. 7 \u201cPK\u201d ($140 million). However, his last release, 2018’s \u201cThugs of Hindostan,\u201d also underperformed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaal Singh Chaddha,\u201d which was made on a budget of approximately $22 million, has grossed some $11.3 million globally in a week. This includes a No. 12 placing in North America, where it collected $1.8 million and a seventh place debut in the UK with a shade under $500,000. Paramount released the movie in both territories.<\/p>\n
In addition, July release \u201cShamshera,\u201d headlined by Ranbir Kapoor, was produced for approximately $18 million and grossed $8 million.<\/p>\n
Analyst Karan Taurani of Elara Capital attributes the lackluster performance of these films to an audience whose tastes have changed after two years of being exposed to world class content at home during the pandemic. \u201cJust the star does not help. A lot of the audience behavior, taste preferences, in terms of what they want to watch on content, has changed over a period of time,\u201d Taurani told variety<\/em>adding that footfalls are down by at least 30% compared to pre-COVID days.<\/p>\nStory continues<\/button><\/p>\nTaurani pointed to the only three Bollywood films that have been hits in 2022, saying that Vivek Agnihotri’s \u201cThe Kashmir Files,\u201d which did not have marquee names, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s \u201cGangubai Kathiawadi\u201d \u2014 which made $43 million and $26.5 million, respectively \u2014 worked because of their strong content. Meanwhile, horror-comedy \u201cBhool Bhulaiyaa 2,\u201d which stars Kartik Aaryan and Tabu and grossed $33.5 million, had an audience because it is part of a franchise.<\/p>\n
The analyst also said that a backlog of films held up due to the pandemic is now \u201clooking stale in nature.\u201d In addition, Taurani said that negative social media \u2014 Twitter users called for a boycott of \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha\u201d over Khan’s alleged 2015 criticism of India’s religious intolerance \u2014 also affected box office traffic.<\/p>\n
This year has also seen a breakthrough by a handful of Indian films made in South Indian languages, rather than Hindi, the language of the Mumbai-based Bollywood sector.<\/p>\n
SS Rajamouli’s Telugu-language \u201cRRR,\u201d starring Ram Charan and NTR Jr, and Prashant Neel’s Kannada-language \u201cKGF: Chapter 2,\u201d starring Yash, were hits in their Hindi-dubbed versions as well. \u201cKGF: Chapter 2\u201d released in Kannada with dubbed Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam-language versions and grossed $160 million, while \u201cRRR\u201d also released in those languages \u200b\u200band made $150 million. Tamil-language \u201cVikram,\u201d starring Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil, collected $63 million from its combined original and dubbed versions.<\/p>\n
However, these films were made with large budgets by Indian standards, and Taurani said that such spending is neither typical, nor sustainable. \u201cRRR\u201d was produced on a budget of approximately $73 million. \u201cVikram\u201d cost $18 million and \u201cKGF: Chapter 2\u201d some $13 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese kinds of films can’t be made every month or every once in two months. You can’t expect five or six these films coming every year, that’s not going to be possible,\u201d Taurani said. The next big-budget Bollywood release, \u201cBrahmastra Part One: Shiva\u201d starring Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt, is due Sept. 9. Taurani expects a big opening for the film, with the subsequent performance dependent on word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n
Taurani likens the current phase of Bollywood box office to a previous dip in 2017. Following the release of Rajamouli’s \u201cBaahubali 2: The Conclusion,\u201d which was made in Telugu and Tamil and grossed a total of $278 million, Bollywood’s Hindi films also underperformed. These included star-driven titles \u201cTubelight\u201d (with Salman Khan), \u201cThugs of Hindostan,\u201d \u201cJab Harry Met Sejal\u201d (Shah Rukh Khan) and \u201cJagga Jasoos\u201d (Kapoor). This was followed by a resurgence in subsequent years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going through a transition and will definitely make a very strong comeback in 2023. I’m sure the directors, creative producers and the scriptwriters are very much aware, in terms of how to change the nuts and bolts of the content,\u201d said Taurani.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the show may not be over for \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha.\u201d Aamir Khan is a major box office draw in China \u2014 the country contributed a hefty percentage of the box office for \u201cDangal\u201d and \u201cSecret Superstar\u201d \u2014 and should the film secure a release there, it could yet be a fairy tale ending for the fable<\/p>\n
Best of Variety<\/strong><\/p>\nSign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.<\/p>\n
Click here to read the full article. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite the star wattage of A-listers Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, the underwhelming box office performance of \u201cForrest Gump\u201d adaptation \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha\u201d and \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d respectively, have set the alarm bells ringing in Bollywood. Both films released on Aug. 11. The date was tailor-made for \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d a film about brother-sister relationships, as it …<\/p>\n
Why Bollywood’s Biggest Films Are Failing at the Box Office<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48952,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bollywood-box-office-slump-laal-singh-chaddha-raksha-bandhan\/","url_meta":{"origin":48453,"position":0},"title":"Bollywood Box Office Slump: ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ ‘Raksha Bandhan’","date":"August 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite the star wattage of A-listers Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, the underwhelming box office performance of \u201cForrest Gump\u201d adaptation \u201cLaal Singh Chaddha\u201d and \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d respectively, have set the alarm bells ringing in Bollywood. Both films released on Aug. 11. The date was tailor-made for \u201cRaksha Bandhan,\u201d a film\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43108,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/raksha-bandhan-box-office-estimate-day-1-akshay-kumar-starrer-opens-lower-than-samrat-prithviraj-collects-rs-8-crores-bollywood-box-office\/","url_meta":{"origin":48453,"position":1},"title":"Raksha Bandhan Box Office Estimate Day 1: Akshay Kumar starrer opens lower than Samrat Prithviraj; collects Rs. 8 crores :Bollywood Box Office","date":"August 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan has taken a dismal start at the box office in India. According to early estimates, the movie has collected in the range of Rs. 7.50 to 8.50 croreswhich is much below even the conservative expectation of the Hindi film industry.The start was poor across the board,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"Raksha Bandhan Box Office Estimate Day 1: Akshay Kumar starrer opens lower than Samrat Prithviraj; collects Rs. 8 crores","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stat1.bollywoodhungama.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Raksha-Bandhan-1b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":39919,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/laal-singh-chaddha-director-advait-chandans-rofl-post-on-trolling-aamir-khan-for-free\/","url_meta":{"origin":48453,"position":2},"title":"Laal Singh Chaddha Director Advait Chandan’s ROFL Post On “Trolling Aamir Khan For Free”","date":"August 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha. (courtesy: aamirkhanproductions)New Delhi: Laal Singh Chaddha director Advait Chandan, managed to shut haters up and how with his latest Instagram story. The film, starring Aamir Khan in the titular role has been the unwilling center of controversy. First, \"#BoycottLaalSinghChaddha\" started trending on Twitter. Later,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46088,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/laal-singh-chaddha-makers-deny-reports-of-distributors-asking-for-compensation-bollywood\/","url_meta":{"origin":48453,"position":3},"title":"Laal Singh Chaddha makers deny reports of distributors asking for compensation | bollywood","date":"August 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"After Laal Singh Chaddha's lukewarm performance at the box office, reports had claimed that the film's distributors had asked the producers for compensation. Aamir Khan's latest movie Laal Singh Chaddha hasn't worked at the box office as expected. Being Aamir's first release in four years and backed by a major\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39968,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/akshay-kumar-reacts-to-calls-for-boycott-of-raksha-bandhan-its-a-free-country-bollywood\/","url_meta":{"origin":48453,"position":4},"title":"Akshay Kumar reacts to calls for boycott of Raksha Bandhan: It’s a free country | bollywood","date":"August 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Actor Akshay Kumar addressed the 'boycott Raksha Bandhan' trend on Twitter while promoting his movie. His film received online hate after the writer Kanika Dhillon's alleged 'Hinduphobic' tweets were pulled out by many users. Many urged people to boycott the movie in the theater. 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