Will 'Sooryavanshi' Set The Ball Rolling At The Box Office This Diwali?

Experts weigh in on how Sooryavanshi is expected to perform at the box office.

Sooryavanshi will hit theatres this Diwali.

(Photo Courtesy: Akshaye Rathi)

A lot is at stake as the film industry has incurred enough losses throughout the pandemic. Everyone has been waiting for the one big film to hit cinema halls, so that the footfall increases and business resumes.

And the movie on which the industry has set its expectations is none other than Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. It is Bollywood's first big budget film to open in cinemas since the lockdown. Sooryavanshi will release on 5 November.

Distributor and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi is elated with the enthusiasm people are showing to get back to the theatres this Diwali. One big reason for that is Sooryavanshi. The advance booking has shown a terrific response.

Rathi told The Quint, "The euphoria and excitement of people to return to the cinemas this festive season is incredible. We will see the results from 6th morning, but I can assure you that the skepticism about whether people will come back to the theatres, and the conversation around the dodgy future of the exhibition sector will be over on the 6th".

Theatres are getting ready for the release of Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi.

(Photo Courtesy: Akshaye Rathi)

The Excitement Around 'Sooryavanshi'

Not just Maharashtra, exhibitors in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are equally excited about Rohit Shetty's film.

The Quint spoke to Gurmeet Singh Seble of Seble Cinema, Delhi, who said that the buzz the film is creating is amazing, especially for single screens. "30 to 35% advance tickets in the single screens are already booked. That's a very good sign. The box office collection for Day 1 will be very strong, and I am quite sure we will see packed halls on the second day too. However, beyond that everything depends on the content. If the content is good, Sooryavanshi will survive. The film looks very promising."

Divas Gupta of Novelty Cinema, Lucknow, told The Quint, "It has been two days since we have opened the advance booking, and the response has been very good. We are expecting houseful shows."

While single screen owners are ecstatic, multiplexes are also very hopeful.

"The response have been very good. We opened advance booking on Sunday, and as for online booking we have already sold nearly 50% of the allowed capacity. The advance booking is going very strong, at least in Mumbai. Even the other metros are doing well", said Kunal Sawhney, COO of Carnival Cinemas.

Sooryavanshi will hit theatres on 5 November.

(Photo: The Quint)

'Sooryavanshi Expected to Break Records'

While Maharashtra and some other states have allowed cinema halls to operate at 50% capacity, the rest of them have permitted full occupancy. According to reports Sooryavanshi will be releasing in 3,200 screens across the country. Around 900 screens in Maharashtra will release the film.

What's interesting is that experts are hopeful that the film will break box office records. Akshaye Rathi believes Sooryavanshi will do better than pre-COVID times.

"I think Rs 17 to 18 crore on Day 1 is a conservative estimate. There is a good chance that the movie will cross Rs 20 crores, possibly even come close to Rs 25 crores. It depends on a lot of factors, but I am sure Sooryavanshi will live up to the expectations. It might be one of the best openings for an Akshay Kumar film and one of the best openings you have seen post the pandemic. Essentially, the best opening for a Hindi film since the crisis".

Before COVID, the Day 1 box office collection for an Akshay Kumar film would be anywhere between Rs 15 to 17 crores. Akshay says that in his opinion, Sooryavanshi will either exceed the amount or stay the same.

Sooryavanshi will clash with Marvel Studios' Eternals and Rajnikanth's Annaatthe, which are also slated to release on 5 November.

The fate of the movies will be decided on Saturday morning. Let's wait and watch.