'Tanhaji' v/s 'Chhapaak': Which film will win at box-office?
This Friday (January 10) will see the first major box-office clash of the new year with the release of Ajay Devgn's 100th movie Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Deepika Padukone's Chhapaak. While movie buffs remain divided on which film to catch on this weekend, let's tell you how the two releases are expected to perform at the domestic box-office.
Riding on a stellar star cast, heavy promotions, and action-packed sequences, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is expected to outperform Chhapaak, this weekend. It is expected to perform well across regions and impress audiences at multiplexes as well as single screens. The film will reportedly earn a first day box-office collection of Rs. 10-12 crore, which may change depending on the critic/audience reviews.
Directed by Om Raut, Tanhaji stars Ajay Devgn, his wife Kajol, and Saif Ali Khan. The historical film is based on the 17th-century battle between Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's trusted leader Uday Bhan. The film will bring Ajay and Saif together on the silver screen after a gap of 14 years. They were last seen together in Omkara (2006).
Helmed by Meghna Gulzar, who directed Talvar and Raazi previously, Chhapaak is based on the life of acid attack survivor and social activist Laxmi Agarwal. Laxmi was attacked in 2005 at age 15. She went on to initiate Stop Sale Acid, a campaign working against acid violence and its sale. Also starring Vikrant Massey, this movie marks Deepika's first silver-screen outing as a producer.
Chaapaak recently became a subject of heated debate after Deepika chose to express solidarity towards protesting JNU students, who were attacked by a masked mob on January 5. She was lauded for expressing her opinion and not thinking about consequences, merely days before the big release. But some naysayers called her an opportunist and advocated boycotting the movie.
While the movie opens in theaters tomorrow, several special screenings of Chhapaak were held yesterday. The movie has so far received positive reviews from critics. It is being praised for its brave depiction of a sensitive subject, convincing screenplay and direction, as well as Deepika's powerful performance. Chhapaak is expected to earn Rs. 5-8 crore on its first day.
