Amid the high-flying expectations for the latest Bollywood blockbuster ‘Fighter,’ the film’s journey hit turbulent air on its fifth day at the box office. The aviation-themed action spectacle starring Hrithik Roshan, heralded for its star power and high-octane sequences, has witnessed a steep decline in collections as reported by industry analysts.
After taking off with a somewhat modest opening, followed by an ascension in earnings during an extended first weekend, ‘Fighter’ was poised to face its ultimate litmus test on the subsequent Monday. Based on preliminary figures from industry tracker Sacnilk, it was surmised that the film, which also stars Deepika Padukone, garnered approximately Rs 8 crore on its fifth day of release.
In comparison to the buoyant four-day weekend festivities, which included the Republic Day holiday, Monday’s drop has been a cause for concern. Trade pundits believe that to ascertain a successful box office trajectory, ‘Fighter’ had to sustain double-digit revenue post the bustling holiday weekend. Regrettably, the film’s Monday earnings have faltered below the critical Rs 10 crore mark.
Balancing against domestic success, the worldwide collection for ‘Fighter’ circles around Rs 220 crore. However, domestically the film stands at Rs 126.50 crore, as it appears to grapple with the shadows of director Siddharth Anand’s previous cinematic endeavors. Anand’s prior hit ‘Pathaan’ raked in a whopping Rs 524 crore in Hindi, while ‘War,’ a previous collaboration with Hrithik Roshan, had amassed Rs 318 crore.
Against the backdrop of its initial Monday performance, projections hint at a potential struggle for ‘Fighter’ to parallel the first week’s extended collections of ‘War,’ which stood at a towering Rs 248 crore.
Delving further into ‘Fighter’s’ box office saga, the film enjoyed a Rs 30.20 crore collection as of Sunday, which took its cumulative domestic collection to an impressive Rs 123.60 crore. The movie’s domestic journey began on a Thursday with Rs 24.60 crore, surging to Rs 41.20 crore on the Republic Day national holiday. The earnings remained robust with Rs 27.60 crore on Saturday before peaking again on Sunday.
Beyond the box office numbers, ‘Fighter’ has resonated with audiences globally, amassing over 7 million viewers, a statistic proudly shared by its creators. This excludes markets in the Middle East, where the film encountered distribution challenges.
In a unique and heartwarming move to embrace the film’s reception, the ‘Fighter’ entourage made an impromptu appearance at a Mumbai cinema. Cast members including Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, along with director Siddharth Anand, graced the theater, indulging in the exhilaration of fan reactions. The actors’ presence electrified the atmosphere, as they expressed their gratitude towards the cinema-goers who have shown unwavering devotion to ‘Fighter,’ a movie that continues to attract attention in theaters.
With these developments in play, the anticipation continues to swell around ‘Fighter’s’ potential to overcome its Monday slump and fly high in the weeks to come. Fans of the stars and the genre can only hope that the film regains its momentum and propels back to the box office heights befitting its A-list credentials and cinematic spectacle. As ‘Fighter’ navigates this challenging course, only time will tell if it can soar to the blockbuster expectations it set forth at takeoff.
