Harish Shankar, director of the recently released Telugu film Mr Bachchan, is reportedly preparing to refund a hefty Rs 15 crore remuneration due to the movie’s disappointing performance at the box office. Despite opening with a modest Rs 3.45 crore on its first day, Mr Bachchan experienced a sharp decline of 68.12% on its second day, collecting just Rs 1.1 crore. This downward trend resulted in a total earning of Rs 6.35 crore after two days, far below expectations for a film of its scale.
The film faced tough competition from other releases such as Double iSmart, AAY and Raghu Thatha, further impacting its box office prospects. Despite their own mixed reception, these films managed marginally better collections than Mr Bachchan.
In response to the financial setback, Harish Shankar has decided to return his Rs 15 crore fee for the project. Additionally, he has committed to collaborating on another film under the same production banner. Producer TG Vishwa Prasad has assured measures to compensate distributors who incurred losses due to Mr Bachchan’s underperformance.
Mr Bachchan, which stars Ravi Teja, Bhagyashri Borse, and Jagapathi Babu, is a Telugu remake of the Hindi blockbuster Raid. It follows the story of Anand aka Bachchan, an honest income tax officer who faces professional challenges while balancing his personal life, particularly his romance with Jikki (played by Bhagyashri Borse). The film delves into his moral dilemmas and confrontations with powerful figures like Mutyam Jaggaiah (played by Jagapathi Babu).