Bollywood's box office currently has two very different films dominating headlines. Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu Sharma's Mirzapur The Movie is standing just steps away from the 100 crore club within three days of its release, while Vishal Chaturvedi's Hanuman Ansh, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has officially crossed the Rs 100 crore mark nearly a month after its release, creating a new record of its own in the process. Two films, two very different journeys, but both are currently the biggest talking points in the trade.
Mirzapur The Movie's blazing three-day run
Mirzapur The Movie opened on Friday with a net collection of Rs 25 crore, marking one of the biggest Bollywood openings of the year so far. The very next day, Saturday, its earnings jumped by more than 25 percent to touch Rs 32 crore, taking the two-day total to Rs 57.75 crore. According to a report by trade tracker Sacnilk, the film's momentum picked up further on Sunday, when it earned Rs 36 crore, a 12.5 percent jump over the previous day's numbers, a growth pattern that shows the film gaining strength rather than fading as the weekend progressed.
Just a few steps away from the 100 crore club
With the third day's collection added in, Mirzapur The Movie's opening weekend total now stands at Rs 93.75 crore, putting it right on the doorstep of the 100 crore club. Trade experts believe the action thriller will cross this landmark figure as early as Monday itself. The real test, however, will come with the so-called Monday test. Weekend collections are typically boosted by holiday crowds, so it is the first weekday's business that actually reveals whether a film can hold on to its audience once the opening rush fades.
Hanuman Ansh creates history a month after release
Meanwhile, Hanuman Ansh, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has quietly pulled off a box office turnaround of its own. More than a month has passed since its release, yet instead of slowing down the way most films do after the opening weeks, its business has kept gathering pace with each passing week. On its fifth Sunday, or day 31 of release, the film shattered all of its own previous single-day records. As per a Sacnilk report, its collections jumped by a massive 37.9 percent over Saturday, with the film earning Rs 22.75 crore across 7,077 shows on that one day alone. That takes its total net collection in India to Rs 122.13 crore, while its gross collection has reached Rs 144.40 crore. For a low-budget film to officially cross the Rs 100 crore mark nearly a month after release, and to still be accelerating at that stage, is being seen as a rare feat in the trade, one usually associated with strong word-of-mouth rather than star power or heavy promotion.
Packed theatres, with evening shows leading the charge
Audience turnout for Hanuman Ansh on its fifth Sunday was strong enough to push its average occupancy to 78.82 percent. Morning shows saw 57 percent occupancy, which climbed steadily to 86.62 percent in the afternoon shows. The evening shows stole the spotlight altogether, recording a massive 92.85 percent occupancy, among the film's best single-slot numbers since its release, suggesting audiences are increasingly choosing to catch the film after work and school hours.
The story and the cast
Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh is based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba. The lead role is played by Shobhinav Satya, who portrays Laxman Das, an ascetic sadhu who would go on to become known as Neem Karoli Baba, one of the world's most influential spiritual gurus. The film also features Chandan Anand, Udaysingh Rajput, Purnima Tiwari and Manish Chaudhary in significant supporting roles, rounding out a cast built largely around lesser-known performers rather than big box office names.
