Box office: Ajay-Madhavan's occult thriller 'Shaitaan' sees remarkable 27% growth
What's the story
Ajay Devgn's spine-chilling horror flick Shaitaan made a smashing entrance in theaters on Friday, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Helmed by Vikas Bahl, the movie raked in an astonishing Rs. 14.5cr on its opening day.
On its second day (Saturday), Shaitaan saw a significant surge in earnings bringing in Rs. 18.75cr and amassing a total of Rs. 33.5cr, reportedly, in just two days.
Here's a breakdown of collections.
Collection
'Shaitaan's strong performance on Day 2
On Saturday, the film witnessed a 27.12% growth in collections, as per Sacnilk, and had an overall 33.65% Hindi occupancy, with the maximum occupancy in night shows reaching 50.84%.
The main regions where it earned the most were Bengaluru (50.25%) and Mumbai (40%), followed by Chennai and Hyderabad.
If this momentum continues throughout the weekend, the film could potentially hit a jaw-dropping Rs. 50cr opening weekend number.
About the movie
'Shaitaan's plot, cast, and crew
Shaitaan is a spine-tingling remake of the 2023 Gujarati horror film Vash, centering around Devgn's character and his family as a mysterious stranger torments them during a vacation.
Devgn, reprising his role as a family man after the success of the Drishyam franchise, encounters R Madhavan as the menacing antagonist.
The film also features Janki Bodiwala, Jyotika, and Anngad Raaj in pivotal roles.
Read our review here.
Critical reception
'Best from Bollywood': Netizens were impressed
Both critics and fans showered the film with praise, with particular acclaim for the performances.
An X/Twitter user remarked, "Extremely disturbing watch, super unsettling & frightening. R Madhavan is now probably THE MOST HATEFUL character on screen ever. The film belongs to him & Janki (sic)."
"One of the BEST from Bollywood (sic)," another user chimed in.
A user noted, "Shaitaan is not a horror but a seat-edge thriller."
Comparison
Comparing 'Shaitaan's performance with Devgn's previous films
Comparing it to Devgn's previous film, Bholaa (2023), which starred Tabu and earned Rs. 11cr on its first day, Shaitaan is off to an impressive start.
Bholaa went on to gross Rs. 90cr during its theatrical run, while Shaitaan's opening day collection is more in line with Drishyam 2, which raked in Rs. 15.38cr and ultimately amassed a staggering Rs. 239 crore in India.