Box Office Preview This Week: Weak Advances for Mastiii 4 and 120 Bahadur While De De Pyaar De 2 Remains the Top Choice
The upcoming weekend at the box office is looking quiet as two new Hindi releases Mastiii 4 and 120 Bahadur open with low advance bookings. A third film Gustaakh Ishq is also releasing but has very limited presence. Because of this soft scenario the holdover film De De Pyaar De 2 is likely to continue leading the box office despite its own mixed performance.
Mastiii 4
Mastiii 4 is releasing on around 2000 screens which is one of the biggest releases for any adult comedy film till now. It is the fourth film in the popular adult comedy franchise Masti. A decade ago adult comedies enjoyed a strong run in cinemas and Grand Masti from the same franchise became the biggest hit of its genre in 2013. However the comedy space especially adult humour lost steam in the second half of the last decade mainly due to changing viewing habits and mobile entertainment. The genre has not recovered since then.
As expected Mastiii 4 is opening to weak advance bookings with around 8500 tickets sold at the national chains. The film will depend completely on audience reaction after release because there is no opening pull on its own. A strong word of mouth can help but without it the film will struggle to find momentum.
120 Bahadur
120 Bahadur is also releasing on around 2000 screens. The film received a good response from its paid preview shows and now all eyes are on how it performs over the weekend. It is a war drama based on the events of the 1962 Indo China conflict. War films generally do not start well unless backed by a big star or a high curiosity factor. In this case the film does not carry either advantage. Advances stand at around 9000 tickets at national chains and are even lower in non chain cinemas.
The makers arranged paid previews on Tuesday hoping that early word of mouth would boost sales but the impact has not shown so far in advance numbers. Still this is the kind of film that can show growth over the weekend if reviews and audience response come positive.
Gustaakh Ishq
Gustaakh Ishq is releasing with a very small screen count and almost no visibility. The film will depend fully on walk in audience and regional pockets. It is unlikely to make noise at the national level unless the content surprises.
De De Pyaar De 2 Holdover
De De Pyaar De 2 had released on around 4000 screens in its opening week but the screen count has now come down to about 1500. Still compared to the new releases this film is expected to dominate the box office again this weekend. Advances stand at around 7500 tickets at national chains. Despite not being a big hit it remains the most stable and recognisable title in theatres this week. With the new releases opening low the film should continue to lead the weekend numbers across major centres.
On the Hollywood side Wicked For Good is also releasing but the musical fantasy genre rarely performs in India so collections are expected to stay limited.
Overall Weekend Preview
With weak advances across all new films the weekend is set for a soft start. The performance will depend entirely on word of mouth and Saturday Sunday growth. Mastiii 4 and 120 Bahadur both need strong public support after release while De De Pyaar De 2 may benefit from the lack of competition.
Stay tuned with CineInfinity for more updates.
