Singham Again from Ajay Devgn, under the direction of Rohit Shetty, was one of the most awaited movies, which was supposed to be one of the biggest hits in the year.
The cop drama, which saw release on November 1, almost overtook Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Kartik Aaryan’s horror-comedy, which surprisingly surpassed Singham Again in daily earnings by November 6. While Singham Again had seen an opening weekend of a magnitude to make a lot of difference, the current trend shows that the film hasn’t been able to sustain its audience, mainly surviving on corporate bookings of tickets.
Disappointing Box Office Collection
Singham Again saw daily box office collections take a sharp dip after an opening day high. The film, after minting Rs 43 crore on its opening day, was seeing returns dwindle further with each passing day. On Wednesday, November 6, Singham Again had earned Rs 10.25 crore against Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3s Rs 10.50 crore on the same day.
Singham Again, which minted the moolah till yesterday, has thus taken the total domestic collection to Rs 164 crore. Once again, it stands higher than Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s Rs 148.50 crore. Industry experts, however, reckon most such collections happen through corporate and bulk bookings, and therefore hide the true affinity for the film by the people.
Comparing Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
Here’s how Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 stack up in terms of box office performance and public reception:
| Film | Total Domestic Collection (Nov 6) | Opening Weekend (Nov 1-3) | % from Corporate Bookings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singham Again | Rs 164 crore | Rs 121.25 crore | 90% |
| Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 | Rs 148.50 crore | Rs 105 crore | 20% |
While Singham Again maintained a slight edge in overall collection, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 achieved a higher proportion of individual ticket sales, suggesting stronger public engagement.
Corporate Bookings Form 90% of Collections
Recent The Philox survey revealed that Singham Again earned nearly 90% of its income through corporate bookings. A number this high suggests that at least 90 percent of the viewers were either employees and went to watch films as a part of a corporate-sponsored event. Corporate sponsorship in this case largely indicates an absence of intrinsic interest and enthusiasm from the public.
Audience Response: A Formulaic and Clichéd Plot
The Philox survey gathered some feedbacks gathered from the audience. Singham Again’s storyline was somewhat disappointing for the audiences. The plot was said to be overly formulaic, based on predictable twists and clichés that did not result in the stirring up of emotions within the viewers’ minds. Here are some statistics from the survey:
80% said the plot was “unoriginal” and “repetitive.”
73% condemned the acting. According to these critics, the main characters as well as the supporting ones seem like one-dimensional.
68% said that the action scenes are “extreme” and “too unrealistic.” This took away some intended appeal of the movie.
Occupancy Stagnation Results in Red Flag
The occupancy rate of the Hindi belt on Wednesday for Singham Again, as expected, was only 20.64 per cent with most footfalls now witnessing evening and night shows.
The occupancy rate seemed to be clearly dipping for a film that had released in a long weekend. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, on the other hand, the attendance continued to rise, more or less evenly after the addition of late night films for the younger audiences.
Trade Analysts Warn of Dismal Second Weekend
“The first weekend trends were promising, but at the box office, these weekday trends are heading for a major-dip scenario. Now, the film’s second weekend may decide its final outcome… Weekend 2—Sat and Sun—will attract good footfalls,” said trade analyst Taran Adarsh on X, formerly known as Twitter. However, since most of its money comes from corporate bookings, analysts are skeptical whether this movie can really hit public entertainment levels in the future.
Considering this and taking into account its very poor reception towards its predictable storyline and performances, Singham Again has joined the list of 2024’s greatest cinematic flops. With low to medium hope for the second weekend, industry analysts are skeptical whether Singham Again will be able to break even.
The poor box office performance of this film is actually the warning tale that big-budget sequel producers need to head because the audience has said it aloud: star power cannot disguise a stale story and uninspired acting.
https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/singham-again-box-office-collection-day-6-ajay-devgn-film-trails-bhool-bhulaiyaa-3-2629440-2024-11-07
https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/singham-again-box-office-collection-day-6-ajay-devgn-film-is-unstoppable-mints-over-160-crore-101730912237746.html
