Box office: 'Fighter' crosses Rs. 150cr; collections continue to drop
What's the story
Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone starrer Fighter raked in Rs. 5.75 crore on Friday (ninth day) in India, surpassing the Rs. 150 crore mark, per industry tracker Sacnilk.
Directed by Siddharth Anand, it marks the first on-screen collaboration between the lead actors.
The film centers on India's airstrike after 2019's Pulwama terrorist attack and stars Roshan and Padukone as Squadron Leaders Shamsher Pathania and Minal Rathore, respectively.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Fighter is 2024's first big Bollywood release co-starring Anil Kapoor. The supporting cast includes Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi, while Ashutosh Rana and Sharib Hashmi were seen in cameo roles.
The aerial war action drama was released in cinema halls on January 25, ahead of the Republic Day holiday, and earned Rs. 22.5 crore on its maiden day at the ticket windows.
Statistics of Day 9
Look at its collections on second Friday
Per Sacnilk, Fighter has, so far, earned Rs. 152.25 crore in India.
On its ninth day, Fighter saw the maximum occupancy (23.67%) during night shows. In the Delhi-NCR region, with 663 shows, the occupancy rate was 12.25%, while in Mumbai, with 531 shows, it stood at 16.75%.
The film's day nine collection is lower compared to day eight. Fighter's earnings began to decline on January 29 when it made Rs. 8 crore, compared to Rs. 29 crore the previous day
What Next?
Anand's bizarre claim over 'Fighter's box office performance
In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Anand defended the dropping box office numbers of Fighter.
He claimed that the aerial actioner's collection has been average because 90% of Indians have never flown in an airplane.
"If you realize, there is a huge percentage of our country... I would say 90% who have not flown in planes! Who have not been to an airport! So how do you expect them to know what's happening in the air?" he said.
Upcoming challenges
'Fighter' to compete against Shahid Kapoor-Kriti Sanon's next
Next weekend, Fighter will face competition from Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon's upcoming film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, set to release on February 9.
However, with no other major releases on the horizon, Fighter has a chance to improve its performance at the box office.
Anand's previous film, Pathaan (2023), starring Shah Rukh Khan and Padukone, broke records at the box office.