'Cirkus' box office: Rohit Shetty's ship sinks on Day 1
What's the story
Touted as the year's last Bollywood big release, Rohit Shetty's film Cirkus hit the theaters on Friday.
The Hindi film industry had placed its hopes on the movie for ending 2022 on a fairly successful note since most Bollywood films failed at the box office this year.
However, Ranveer Singh-led Cirkus failed to show any magic at the box office on its opening day.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Most of Shetty's films have had double-digit openings in the past. However, Cirkus is being touted as one of the worst films of his career in a decade's time. It has had shocking single-digit opening-day earnings.
Despite having a strong supporting cast, which has been part of Shetty's Golmaal franchise, too, his comedy caper is not worthy enough to make the audience laugh.
Box office
'Cirkus' box office collection on opening day
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Cirkus saw a low occupancy in the morning and afternoon shows, too. The film was expected to earn around Rs. 15 crore on its opening day.
However, it managed to earn only half of its expectations. Per the report, the film collected between Rs. 6.35 crore to Rs. 7.35 crore on its opening day.
Past performances
BO performances of Shetty's previous films
Cirkus reportedly marks the worst performance by a Shetty film in a decade. His last release, Sooryavanshi (2021), which was released amid the pandemic, collected Rs. 26.29cr on day one.
Similarly, Simmba made Rs. 20.72cr, Golmaal Again earned Rs 30.14cr, and Dilwale got Rs. 21cr on their opening days.
Singham Returns earned Rs. 32.09cr, while Chennai Express made Rs. 33.12cr on the first day.
Avatar 2
The 'Avatar: The Way of Water' impact
James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water has completed two successful weeks in the theaters. Even though Cirkus did not have any Indian film clash, it is facing tough competition from the much-acclaimed Hollywood film.
A sequel to 2009's Avatar, the film reportedly had a better collection on its second Friday compared to Cirkus. It collected roughly between Rs. 11.50-13.50 crore.