Amar Kaushik, Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan’s Stree 2 has brought back the smile on the faces of the film trade people. The film opened to such outstanding houses yesterday (Independence Day) that even the most optimistic people in the trade are flabbergasted! Although the exact box-office numbers are still being compiled, it is estimated that the first day could’ve closed at a whopping Rs. 52 crore. Add to it the Rs. 8.75 crore netted at the ticket counters in paid previews on the eve of Independence Day and you have a figure of Rs. 60.75 crore!!
Not just the box-office takings, even the public response inside the cinema halls is exhilarating, to say the least. For an industry which has been crying over substandard fare being dished out week after week, the Stree sequel has come like a shot in the arm. It is now clear that the horror comedy film is slated to be the biggest hit of this year so far. Its blockbuster status is only set to be further fortified in the coming days as the extended weekend is expected to throw up more and more surprises. The extended 5-day weekend (Raksha Bandhan festival falls on Monday, August 19) could see the film netting Rs. 235 crore. Add another Rs. 30 crore for the balance three days of the first week, and you have a first week’s total of Rs. 265 crore!!
The umpteen records which Stree 2 has already broken is indicative of what’s in store for the film at the box-office. In Gurgaon, the film netted Rs. 1.58 crore on the first day, making it one of the three best ever films of the city. Pathaan had collected Rs. 1.68 crore in Gurgaon on the opening day. At Rs. 1.38 crore, it easily became the film with the highest ever collections on the first day at the Moviemax chain of multiplexes, overtaking the numbers of Animal (Rs. 1.09 crore), Jawan (Rs. 1 crore), Pathaan (Rs. 0.80 crore), Adi Purush (Rs. 0.77 crore) and Gadar 2 (Rs. 0.70 crore). In one stroke, Stree 2 also became the film which recorded the highest one-day collections, overtaking the first Sunday’s collection of Animal (Rs. 1.37 crore). In Akola city, the Stree sequel netted Rs. 40 lakh on Thursday, surpassing the Rs. 35.79 lakh figure of Kalki 2898 AD.
With no major films slated for release in the next few weeks, one can foresee a long and uninterrupted run for the blockbuster at the turnstiles. Will it cross Rs. 300 crore? Most certainly, it will! Will it cross Rs. 400 crore? Of course, it will! Can it touch Rs. 500 crore? Wait for the drama to unfold. The climax is best enjoyed when it unfolds, not before that!!