Shehzada Box Office: 5 Reasons Why Kartik Aaryan-Kriti Sanon's Film is Sending Us Warning Bells Ahead of Its February 17 Release

Shehzada is this week's big Bollywood release. Directed by Rohit Dhawan (Desi Boyz, Dishoom), the movie is an official remake of the Telugu blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo that came out in 2020, and had starred Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde in the lead. The Hindi remake has Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon headlining a cast that also include Manisha Koirala, Sachin Khedekar, Ronit Roy, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Sunny Hinduja among others. Shehzada Title Track: Kartik Aaryan Shares Video of His Fast Paced Song With Catchy Beats and Slick Moves – Watch.

Normally, we should not have worried about how a film like Shehzada would have performed at the box office. A masala entertainer that has elements catering to the mainstream audience, it banks on the starry charm of Kartik Aaryan, who is having quite the ride at the box office in the past couple of years. His last theatrical release, Bhool Bhulaiya 2 was a blockbuster in 2022 earning Rs 185.92 crore in India. Also save for the failure of Love Aaj Kal, the star had earned hits back to back in Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Luka Chuppi and Pati Patni Aur Woh. Luka Chuppi was also the last time he was paired with Kriti Sanon, his Shehzada co-star, and they hope to bring that lucky charm to their new release.

However, despite being led by a very popular superstar and being a remake of a very audience-pleasing film, Shehzada is sending quite a few red flags ahead of its release on February 17. As per trade experts, the buzz for the film isn't as they had expected, though they are still hopeful Shehzada would do good business. But why is a film like Shehzada not making everyone optimistic of its chances at the box office? Let's check out five particular reasons why...

#1 - The Allu Arjun Factor

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is a very popular movie that got even more buzz post the success of Pushpa - The Rise. While the plot of the Trivikram Srinivas film is nothing new, what makes this film highly watchable is the delightful performance of its lead star and the irreverent treatment. Allu Arjun absolutely smashes it out of the park, switching easily between romance, comedy, action and emotions. If you are someone who has seen the original, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not, but you can't deny that Kartik Aaryan definitely has some big shoes to fill here, with the inherent risk of drawing wide comparisons. Let's not forget the fact the the Hindi dubbed version of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo was postponed twice in the last two years, and the rumours are strong that the makers of Shehzada didn't want the version to come out before their film. So you know this is a big worry for them.

#2 - The Pre-Release Material

Look, remaking a film ain't anything new for Bollywood. In fact, there are occasions - even I can take the risk of courting some controversy here - where the Hindi remakes were better than the original. Case in point, the remake of Ghajini and Singam. But even before we get to that impression, there is something called 'first impression' and in that case, Shehzada isn't scoring high here. The trailer of the film was met with a lukewarm response, and the song didn't set the music charts on fire, especially considering how the original film had some chartbuster songs like "Butta Bomma" (whereas the remake has to rely on remaking a popular Salman Khan song, which is ironic when Salman himself was part of two Allu Arjun song remakes). Those who have seen the original, including yours truly, unfortunately feels that despite Kartik's best efforts, the trailer doesn't make him live upto what Allu Arjun did in the original. Just see the kind of magic Ajay Devgn has done with the well-cut teasers of Bholaa that is also a remake of a South film.

#3 - The Change in Release Date

Shehzada was supposed to release earlier on February 10. Then one fine day, the makers decide to shift the release date of the film a week later 'out of respect' to Pathaan. That excuse fooled no one, as there were already story murmurs that Shehzada hasn't managed to create the right buzz and there might be a possibility that Pathaan, going in its third week, might still be a competition. I am not sure whether the latter would have been much of a threat, since Pathaan, while doing decently enough, wasn't so strong last week to eclipse a new Bollywood biggie. Not only was the movie's decision to change release dates seen in a negative way, but also Shehzada lost on a Friday that doesn't see a major competitor eating into its pie coming on the same day (yes, there was Shiv Shastri Balboa, but come on...). Shehzada's new release date tells a different story now...

#4 - Ant-Man and The Wasp - Quantumania

While Shehzada continues to be the big Bollywood release of the week in theatres (there is Lost on Zee5 this week BTW), it faces a major competition in the market in the form of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Marvel films have mostly done well in India. Though some of its recent films haven't performed up to the mark post Avengers: Endgame, there is a huge buzz around MCU's latest entry, starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in the lead. Shehzada makers can take some satisfaction in the fact that the initial reviews for the Marvel film have not been very positive, so there is a chance that after the opening weekend, the business for the film could go down. But as of now, the Hollywood film has definitely taken a head-start over Shehzada and the result is below to see...

#5 - Advance Ticket Sales

Going by the latest update from trade expert Taran Adarsh, Shehzada is registering lower ticket sales from three major multiplex chains in comparison to Ant-Man 3. Shehzada Advance Booking: Kartik Aaryan's Film Registers Lower Ticket Sales Compared to Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and The Wasp - Quantumania in India!

Shehzada...

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

There is quite a major difference between the number of tickets sold for the Bollywood film and its Hollywood competitor. What's more, down South, there's another stiff competition from Dhanush's bilingual Vaathi/Sir that is also releasing this Friday. The lower tickets sales is definitely a little worrying factor for Shehzada before release, however, it isn't a huge concern. Some good reviews and WOM can easily change the tide for the film. The thing is, will those happen for the star who is hailed the new 'Shehzada' of Bollywood?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2023 06:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).