Controversy Surrounding “Adipurush” Impacts Box Office Performance Despite Strong Opening

Mumbai, India – The highly anticipated film “Adipurush,” featuring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan, made a staggering worldwide collection of Rs 140 crore on its opening day. However, the film’s box office performance has taken a significant hit due to mounting criticism, causing a decline in audience interest within just eight days of its release.

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, on Friday, “Adipurush” collected an estimated Rs 3.25 crore nett across India. The Hindi collection of the movie now stands at Rs 125 crore nett. Meanwhile, the film’s production house, T-Series, claims that “Adipurush” has crossed Rs 410 crore worldwide gross. It is reported that the film was made on a budget of Rs 500 crore.

Despite the production team slashing ticket prices for Thursday and Friday shows to Rs 150, the box office collection continued to decline. Manoj Desai, the executive director of Gaiety Galaxy Cinema hall in Mumbai, revealed that the film was being rejected by viewers. Desai mentioned that two shows were cancelled on Thursday, and matinee shows had to be cancelled on Friday due to poor word-of-mouth and response. He further stated that the film would be removed from theatres soon, causing significant losses for the owners of all cinemas where the movie was released.

“Adipurush,” directed by Om Raut, is an adaptation of the Hindu mythological epic Ramayan. The film depicts Prabhas as Raghav, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh. It also features Sunny Singh as Shesh and Devdatta Nage as Bajrang. The movie hit theatres on June 16, but it has faced backlash for its dialogues and portrayal of the characters Ram and Ravana. Despite modifying the infamous “kapda tere baap ka” dialogue, calls for a ban and boycott of the movie have persisted.

The film concluded its first week with a downward trend, although the drop was less than 30 percent. “Adipurush” collected approximately Rs. 7 crores on Thursday, bringing its first-week collection at the Indian box office to Rs. 269 crores. However, the film’s trend is worrisome, possibly making it the worst box office trend for a major film in the Hindi belt. The lack of significant competition in the second week might allow the film to retain a substantial number of screenings and possibly gather some additional collections. However, the absence of a major release this week means “Adipurush” could face a swift replacement and conclude its theatrical run at most cinemas within just one week.

Interestingly, the Telugu version of the film has performed relatively better, driven by Prabhas’ star power. In the Hindi belt, the controversy surrounding the portrayal of Ramayana has significantly impacted the film’s appeal. The film’s trend in the Telugu states mirrors that of Prabhas’ previous film, “Saaho,” which also received a mixed reception. The collections on the last three weekdays in the Telugu states resembled those of “Saaho,” while in the Hindi belt, “Adipurush” experienced a considerable decline, with Thursday’s collection being 30 percent of “Saaho.”

The box office collections of “Adipurush” at the Indian box office during the first week are as follows:

• Friday: Rs. 86 crores
• Saturday: Rs. 66.50 crores
• Sunday: Rs. 68 crores
• Monday: Rs. 19.50 crores
• Tuesday: Rs. 13.25 crores
• Wednesday: Rs. 8.75 crores
• Thursday: Rs. 7 crores

Total: Rs. 269 crores

“Adipurush” also earned $5.60 million (Rs. 46 crores) overseas during its first week, contributing to a total worldwide gross of Rs. 315 crores. However, the film’s collections eroded quickly, with Thursday’s overseas collections barely reaching $50,000. The final total is expected to reach around the $6 million mark.

The territorial breakdown for “Adipurush” worldwide box office collections is as follows:

• AP/TS: Rs. 109.25 crores (Rs. 65 crores share)
• Karnataka: Rs. 17.75 crores (Rs. 8.60 crores share)
• Tamil Nadu/Kerala: Rs. 8 crores (Rs. 3.40 crore share)
• Rest of India: Rs. 134 crores (Rs. 59 crores share)

India: Rs. 269 crores (Rs. 136 crores share)

• North America: $2.95 million
• Middle East: $0.85 million
• Australia: $0.58 million
• New Zealand: $0.13 million
• Rest of Asia: $0.25 million
• United Kingdom: $0.40 million
• Rest of Europe: $0.30 million
• Rest of the World: $0.15 million

Overseas: $5.60 million / Rs. 46 crores

Worldwide: Rs. 315 crores (Rs. 156 crores share)

Amid the controversy surrounding “Adipurush,” Nepal has resumed screening Hindi movies, except for the aforementioned film. The Mayor of Kathmandu had previously threatened to ban the Prabhas-Kriti Sanon starrer in Nepal if a controversial dialogue was not removed. However, the Patan High Court issued a short-term order stating that movies cleared by the censor board should not be stopped. As a result, cinema halls have begun screening Bollywood films, excluding “Adipurush,” which continues to face a ban.

“Adipurush” is a cinematic retelling of the ancient epic Ramayan, written by sage Valmiki. The film explores the legacy of Lord Ram (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu), his brother Laxman (an incarnation of the serpent deity Sheshnaag), Goddess Sita (an incarnation of Goddess Laxmi), and Lord Hanuman (an incarnation of Lord Shiva). The controversy surrounding the portrayal of Ramayana has sparked criticism and affected the film’s reception.

Despite the setbacks, “Adipurush” remains a star-studded production with Sunny Singh, Devdatta Nage, Saif Ali Khan, and Sonal Chauhan in crucial roles.

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