Tatsam Mukherjee
The only reliable thing about the ‘science’ of predicting box office remains how unreliable it is. Director Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2 (2023), which crossed the Rs. 200-crore mark within five days.
which did record-breaking business and brought many single-screen theatres back into business after the pandemic, Gadar 2 has again shown that for Hindi cinema to remain viable, the ‘mass pockets’ of the exhibition apparatus have to do well.
Vishek Chauhan, an exhibitor based in Purnia (Bihar), said his theatre has been operating at a full-house for all shows in the first five days. Gadar 2 is doing well across demographics and sectors.“Whether it’s Noida, South Mumbai and South Kolkata.
As per Agarwal, in towns like Prayagraj, Mathura, Agra, Mirzapur in UP, Gadar 2has witnessed an average 95% occupancy over its first five days while Rocky aur Rani…. opened to an average 30-35% occupancy in his cinemas. It did go up to 50-60% on Sunday.
Rathi emphasised that for a film industry to thrive, it needs to produce all kinds of movies. “For every Gadar 2 we need a Dream Girl 2, for every Rocky Aur Rani we need a Pathaan,” he said.