‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ to end first week with ₹79 crore collections

The contributions from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and east Punjab are leading the business, followed by Mumbai city and Pune.

Movie theatres that have seen little respite since the lone success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan in January, were pinning hopes on the Holi week, that saw the release of Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar.

Calling Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar Ranbir Kapoor’s next outing after Brahmastra, trade experts had expected the film to start well over the extended Holi weekend and to strike a chord with the youth.

Traditionally, Holi weekends have always been milder for cinemas when compared to the festive periods of Eid, Diwali or Christmas, since most theatres on Holi day have a slow start, with shows scheduled only post 12 noon. However, families are likely to step out after that and enjoy the festive day watching a film in the theatres.

To be sure, challenges for Holi release also arise from the fact that it is close to the examination period for students in schools and colleges. However, it is usually lucrative for films, especially in tier-II cities and towns where people step out in large numbers.

Audiences have been starved of content this year, with both Hindi and Hollywood films such as Selfiee, Shehzada and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, faring below par over the past few weeks. Estimates by investment banking firm Elara Capital Ltd suggest that overall box office revenue for exhibitors may see a decline of 10-15% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 FY23, due to Hindi content not doing well, except Pathaan, and no positive surprises in regional or English content.