Alia Bhatt's spy thriller Alpha hit theatres on July 3 across India, but mixed reviews from critics are already showing up in its box office numbers. The same day also saw Huma Qureshi's Baby Do Die Do release in cinemas, and its opening day earnings stayed stuck in the lakhs. Here is how much business both films did on their first day in India.
A Rs 9 Crore Opening Day
According to box office tracking website Sacnilk, Alpha collected a net amount of Rs 9 crore in India on its opening day. The film was rolled out on a massive scale, with close to 7534 shows running nationwide, giving it every chance to build a strong hold in cinemas. Despite that wide release, the first day numbers fell short of expectations.
Dwarfed By War 2's Numbers
The previous spy universe release, War 2, had received poor reviews, yet it still raked in a massive Rs 52 crore on day one, powered by 19,455 shows across the country. Alpha's Rs 9 crore collection looks tiny next to that figure, making it the weakest opener the spy universe has seen so far.
A Big Jump From Jigra
There was some good news for Alia Bhatt though. Alpha comfortably beat the opening day numbers of her previous release, Jigra, which had managed a net business of just Rs 4.55 crore on day one. That means Alpha has more than doubled the first day earnings of her last film.
Female Leads And A Star Cast
Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha is the first film in Yash Raj Films' spy universe to put women characters in the lead roles. Alongside Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, the film features Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor in key roles, along with a special cameo from Hrithik Roshan.
A Cold Start For Huma Qureshi's Film
Huma Qureshi's suspense crime thriller Baby Do Die Do also opened in theatres on July 3. It is an action thriller that has drawn good reviews from critics, but the numbers tell a different story at the box office, with its opening day business coming in well below expectations. Per Sacnilk, the film started with very low earnings, collecting just Rs 40 lakh net from 778 shows on day one, while its gross collection in India stood at Rs 48 lakh. The sluggish start is being attributed to the limited number of shows it got. Going by these figures, Alia Bhatt's Alpha has clearly outperformed Huma Qureshi's Baby Do Die Do.
Can The Weekend Change The Story
It will now be worth watching whether positive word of mouth helps Baby Do Die Do stage a turnaround over the weekend, or whether its pace stays slow. Huma Qureshi is seen pulling off some hard hitting action sequences in the film. The cast also includes Chunky Pandey, Sikandar Kher, Rachit Singh and Seema Pahwa in important roles.
