We had earlier told you about how 2.0 has taken off to a flying start at the box office. The sci-fi film, starring Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson in the lead, has collected Rs 60 crore approximately in all the languages that it was released in India. This makes 2.0 the second highest grossing opening dat collections for an Indian film in all languages released. Breaking its collections by the language, the Hindi version has made Rs 20.25 crore while other languages made about Rs 40 crore. 2.0 is second only to Baahubali 2, which had collected about Rs 120 crore approximately on its first day for all languages. 2.0 Box Office Collection: Area-Wise Breakdown of How Much Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar's Film Earned On Its Opening Day!
However, while the makers of 2.0 may relish in this new record, the battle is far from being won. Baahubali 2 was made on a budget of Rs 250 crore, but 2.0's budget is a bloated Rs 550 crore. To earn profits, 2.0 has to make more than Rs 650 crore. Here's where the problem arises for the film.
The reason why Baahubali 2 was a success was that the movie found a pan-Indian appeal. Despite being a Telugu film primarily, Baahubali 2 was a big success in North of India. Why, its Hindi dubbed version is currently the highest grossing film in this territory, even beating Aamir Khan's Dangal, which is saying something. Not just that, Baahubali 2's Hindi version had also collected Rs 41 crore on its opening day, which is the highest for a dubbed film. 2.0: 5 Reasons Why Prabhas' Baahubali 2 is a Much Better Film Than Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar's Sci-Fi Extravaganza.
On the other hand, 2.0 has managed to collect Rs 20.25 crore with its Hindi version, which is quite cool, considering the movie had released on a Thursday which is also a non-holiday (though even Baahubali 2 also came in similar circumstances and did double the business). But even with that figures, 2.0 has neither got the highest opening day collections for a movie this year, nor for an Akshay Kumar film (Gold takes that credit). 2.0 Box Office Collection: Forget Thugs of Hindostan, Baahubali 2, Akshay Kumar Fails To Beat The Opening Day Figures of His Own Movies!
For 2.0 to get into a profitable run, it is very important that the movie makes enough money in North India. Which feels an arduous task, as 2.0 has received less buzz here compared to the South. In an interview to Moneycontrol.com, film trade analyst Atul Mohan said, "If sub-distributions from the South is taken into account, which is worth close to Rs 50 crore, the film has only made close to Rs 250 crore as of date and going by the trend, ticket sales will bring in another Rs 125 crore approximately through the weekend. While the numbers could be considered humongous for a small-budget film, it is not at par for a film made on a budget of Rs 500 crore." With a biggie like Kedarnath coming out next week, it will be a real challenge for 2.0 to sustain ahead in the North. 2.0: 15 WTF Moments in Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson's Film (SPOILER ALERT).
To give credit where it's due, 2.0 has been getting good audience response for its special effects, even when the reviews have not been very kind. The audience knows that it is a film that can only be enjoyed on the big screen. Rajinikanth also has a massive fan following overseas, where 2.0 HAS to perform well. 2.0 Movie Review: Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar's Film is a 3-D Delight That Lags From Lowbrow Content Malware.
So yeah, while we congratulate the 2.0 team for the record-breaking start, it is too soon to call the movie a success. Do remember that Thugs of Hindostan is the claimant for the highest opening day collections for a Hindi film, and yet it is one of the biggest box-office disappointments (lifetime earnings just about crossed Rs 150 crore, while the budget for the film is Rs 250 crore plus).
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 30, 2018 07:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).