Decoded: is Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Brahmastra’ a Box Office success?

Ayan Mukerji’s ‘Brahmastra’ seems to have finally broken Bollywood’s long lull at the box office. The highly-anticipated magnum opus hit the theatres on September 9 and opened to mixed reviews. However, it has received solid numbers at the ticket booth and the Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor starrer reportedly raked in over ₹300 crore globally in the first week of its release.

This is just one evaluation. There have been different figures from different sources that have been reported, leaving many confused and obviously raising some doubts.

Different calculation in different places

Let us explain how the total collection of films is calculated. Gross box office collection refers to the total amount earned from ticket sales, while Nett collection is gross minus the amount deducted by the government in taxes, including service tax and entertainment tax.

Nett differs from state to state because these taxes differ in each state. Another aspect of the box office figures is distributor share, which is nett collection minus the rental charged by theatres.

There is no streamlined tracking system in India due to which the box office numbers of a film can never be an exact one. So, if multiple credible sources are reporting that the film has earned somewhere between ₹212 and ₹300 crore, it’s safe to say that ‘Brahmastra’ has secured impressive numbers and it might end Bollywood’s long dry spell.

Boycott calls fail to stop ‘Brahmastra’s success

Over the past few months, Bollywood big-ticket films faced boycott calls, including ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, ‘Shamshera’, ‘Liger’ and ‘Raksha Bandhan’, and they failed miserably at the box office.

#BoycottBrahmastra also trended on Twitter after an old video of Ranbir Kapoor surfaced online in which he claimed to be a big fan of beef. However, the film’s box office results have been pleasant.

The action-adventure fantasy drama created excitement among the cinegoers and two highlights of the movie have been VFX, which took years to plan and execute, and brought the magical world of ‘Brahmastra’ to life, and Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo. The superstar has portrayed the role of scientist Mohan Bhargava, who possesses the Vanarastra.

National Cinema Day postponed

The box-office success of ‘Brahmastra’ has brought a smile on the faces of exhibitors. The Multiplex Association of India had planned to celebrate National Cinema Day on September 16 and the ticket prices were to be kept at a subsidized rate of only Rs. 75 on the occasion. However, they have now postponed the National Cinema Day to next week, stating that with the release of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer, the footfalls of theatres have increased and theatre owners want to maximize their share.

‘Brahmastra 2’ to release in 2025

Director Ayan Mukerji is overwhelmed with the positive response his film has received. In a recent interview with indianexpress.com, he revealed that he is targeting to release the second installment of ‘Brahmastra’ in 2025.

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