This week's big Bollywood release is Kedarnath. Directed by Abhishek Kapoor of Rock On and Kai Po Che fame, the movie stars Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead and is the debut of Sara Ali Khan, the daughter of the now-divorced Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh. While Kedarnath is set against the backdrop of 2013 Uttarakhand floods, an intriguing theme in itself, the movie is actually in the trends for being Sara's first film. And yes, for the many, many controversies it was mired in, the most recent being that it hurts religious sentiments and promoted 'love jihad'! Groan! Kedarnath Screening Banned in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar Districts.

Anyway, since Kedarnath is releasing with practically no competition from Bollywood, can it ensure enough business to be called a hit? Sure, people will be curious to know how Sara is in the movie. That said, the pre-release buzz of Kedarnath is very average.

In an interview to HT, trade analyst Akshaye Rathi had this to say about Kedarnath's chances at the box office, "It’s certainly an interesting movie. If you go by what we have seen of Sara Ali Khan in her interviews, public appearances, reality shows, Koffee With Karan and everywhere else, a lot of people are clearly very excited about this new young talent that has arrived. Lots of people are looking forward to the launch of Sara Ali Khan and that may possibly become the USP of the film." Kedarnath Movie Review: The Real-Life Tragedy Takes a Backseat In Sushant Singh Rajput-Sara Ali Khan's 'Titanic'- Inspired Love Story.

If we consider the curiosity for Sara, Kedarnath should interest the multiplex audiences. There is also a good chance that it might work in the interiors, with its themes being in more touch with these regions.

The budget of the film is reportedly Rs 60 crore, so the movie has to earn more than Rs 80 crore to call itself profitable.

However, apart from the average buzz for the film, Sushant's box office clout has taken a big hit following the debacle of Raabta. Also, curiosity for Sara doesn't mean that the public will come in droves to watch the film. In a quote given to Pinkvilla, trade analyst Girish Johar had predicted a business of Rs 5-6 crore for the film on day 1, after which the collections should improve based on the early reviews and reactions.

However, Kedarnath faces some major competition from last week's big release, 2.0, which is doing good at the theatres. To top it all, the early reviews for the film has been mixed, with the performances being praised while the trite premise gets criticised.

So what do you think, readers, will Kedarnath be a hit? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 07, 2018 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).