Jigra registers Alia Bhatt’s worst box office opening in 10 years; how Vasan Bala film lost to even Kalank and Shaandaar

Alia Bhatt has been one of the most successful female stars of her generation in Hindi cinema. In the nearly dozen years that she has been a part of the industry, Alia has appeared in some of the biggest hits of the industry and has also grown to deliver solo female lead successes at the box office. That’s why the low opening day collection of his latest release Jigra was a surprise for many. Industry insiders talk about the how and why but the fact remains that Jigra has recorded the lowest opening for any Alia film in a decade. ,Also read: Jigra box office collection day 1: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina film opens to lukewarm 4.25 crores, no show in telugu,

Jigra’s disappointing start at the box office

Vasan Bala directed Jigra earns well on its opening day 4.55 crores in India, a very low figure. To put this in context, the video of Rajkummar Rao and Trupti Dimri’s quirky comedy Vicky Vidya Ka Woh, which was released on the same day, managed to topple Jigra. 5.25 crores. Jigra’s worldwide collection remained very low even on the first day. 7.45 crores. The action drama recovered somewhat with a 42% surge on Saturday, boosting its earnings 6.50 crores but considering the initial initial figures, it may be much less.

Alia Bhatt’s lowest opening movies

Before Jigra, only one film of Alia Bhatt had earned less than this. 5 crores on its opening day and that was Highway. Imtiaz Ali’s film started in 2014 3.48 crores. Since then, all Alia’s films have earned at least 7 crores or more, except Kapoor & Sons. What made Jigra’s opening inauspicious was that only two flops in Alia’s career – Shaandaar and Kalank – both had better opening figures. 13.10 crore more 21.60 crores respectively. Even all of Alia’s solo films without a male star have performed better. Raji had opened up 7.53 crore, Dear Zindagi at 8.75 crore, and Gangubai Kathiawadi breaks the bank with its pandemic-era opening day figures 10.50 crores. These figures show how little discussion there has been for Jigra. ,Also read: Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video box office collection day 2: Rajkummar Rao film stays ahead of Jigra,

Why did Jigra do so bad?

The answer lies in a combination of things. For one, each of Alia’s ‘solo’ debuts had some kind of commercial embellishment. In Gangubai Kathiawadi, it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s influence, while in Dear Zindagi, Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo helped attract some audiences (he was on the posters and was very much a part of the promotion). Some would argue that female-oriented films are not happening anymore. Judging by her recent social media posts, Kangana Ranaut certainly feels so. But the Crew’s recent success dispels that notion. The fault may lie in how Jigra was marketed and even implemented. For an action film, it lacks intensity, and the dramatic sequences lack depth. It revolves around confusion, something that was also reflected in the film’s promotional campaign. Nobody knew where to position Jigra – a fantastic action thriller or a brother-sister relationship story. And if we’ve learned one thing since the pandemic, it’s that audiences don’t have time for mixed messages.

Will Jigra be able to make a comeback at the box office?

Only once has Alia’s film managed to recover from an underwhelming opening. Raji earned Earned Rs 7.53 crore on its opening day but grew rapidly and crossed it 50 crore more finished in six days 124 crores. But that film was buoyed by some rave reviews, which is not in Jigra’s kitty. Nevertheless, there was some increase in the film’s earnings on Saturday. Only time (and the audience) will tell the rest.