Bollywood’s latest box office clash between Badass Ravikumar and Loveyapa continues to unfold, and by 4 p.m., Himesh Reshammiya’s over-the-top action entertainer has clearly taken the lead of almost 50 %. After selling over 59,000 tickets in advance and collecting Rs 95 lakh before release, the film’s strong early show performance has now propelled its total collections to Rs 1.09 crore by the afternoon as per Sacnilk.
With evening and night shows yet to come, industry experts predict that Badass Ravikumar is on track to cross at least Rs 3 crore by the end of the day. The film’s exaggerated 80s-style action, larger-than-life dialogues, and Himesh’s signature flair seem to have struck a chord with his loyal fanbase. Several single-screen theaters in mass centers have reported good numbers despite the film having limited to no promotion at all. THe film which has been made on the budget of Rs 20 crore has already recovered its budget through music and subsidies.
On the other hand, Loveyapa, which stars Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan and Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Khushi Kapoor has also shown a consistent growth as it has till now till Rs 58 lakh, this is their first big screen release. Both the young actors had their first films released on OTT platform in Maharaj and The Archies. Industry analysts believe that Loveyapa- Hindi remake of Love Today will need exceptionally strong word-of-mouth to recover from its sluggish opening.
Meanwhile, Badass Ravikumar’s solid advance sales and its hold at the box office suggest that Himesh’s gamble of bringing back his Xposé character has paid off. If positive word-of-mouth continues to build, the film could see further jumps over the weekend, cementing its position as a surprise winner in this box office battle.
