The Akshay Kumar-starrer Sarfira is all set to release on Friday, July 12. Until Wednesday, July 10 afternoon, less than 1,000 tickets of the film were sold for the first day in the three major national chains – PVR, Inox and Cinepolis. We spoke to trade experts to learn more about the film’s buzz.
Trade experts predict that Akshay Kumar-starrer Sarfira will open in the range of Rs. 5-6 crores: “Such an opening is not befitting the stardom of Akshay Kumar”
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh sighed, “The buzz is low and there’s not much hype about it. But I guess this is a word-of-mouth film. The original, Soorarai Pottru (2020), was a beautiful film and the National Award it got was a much deserved one. I am sure Sarfira will also be a faithful remake. The casting of Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal is an interesting one. They are coming together after a long time.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan also agreed on the word-of-mouth bit and hoped, “Sarfira nikal jaayegi. It’s an inspirational film. Akshay Kumar, before the pandemic, was in a phase where he gave films like Mission Mangal (2019), Toilet: Ek Prem Katha(2017), Pad Man (2018) etc. He was appreciated for these films. This film is in that zone.”
He continued, “After the lockdown, he went into the out-and-out commercial space be it Sooryavanshi, Bachchhan Paandey, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan etc. The family audience will come to see it. The families have anyway come in large numbers this year to the cinemas.”
He also rejected the notion that Sarfira might not get the patronage as its original version and its Hindi dubbed version is out already, “How many people have access to OTT? I know many who have not seen the original film.”
Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, however, feels that it’s not the content that is going against the film. He said, “It is due to the actor. Content kisko pata hai? The actor appears in five films a year. Public bore ho jaati hai.”
He continued, “The buzz is negligible. But it’ll open better than Selfiee (2023) and Mission Raniganj (2023). The opening should be in the range of Rs. 5-6 crores. With the reports I am hearing from friends in Mumbai, the response is encouraging. It might not take a decent opening but will pick up in the subsequent shows.” While Selfiee opened at Rs. 2.55 crores, Mission Raniganj’s first-day collections were Rs. 2.80 crores.
The trade experts confirmed that five years ago, a film like Sarfira would have been a safe proposition. Taran Adarsh explained, “But today, the people wait for the public report to come out before taking a call. I hope it gets a decent start because it’s very important not just for Akshay Kumar but also for the industry.”
Raj Bansal agreed, “5 years ago, it would have opened in double digits. Ab sab gadbad ho gaya.” He feels that a subject of this kind will alienate a section of the audience, “The mass is not interested in knowing who run down whom in the airline industry. Those who travel frequently by planes might be interested.”
Taran Adarsh opened up more on the film’s buzz, “The advance booking is not too strong. It also faces competition from Hindustani 2. There’s not much awareness about it but it’s a brand. You never know when these films will surprise. Even for Kalki 2898 AD, it was said that ‘buzz nahin hai’. The other obstacle is next week’s release, Bad Newz. The youth liked the trailer and the song ‘Tauba Tauba’ is a rage. The showcasing of Sarfira will be affected by it.”
He further said, “I hope it doesn’t open under Rs. 4 crores. It should open at Rs. 5 crores. But that’s not befitting the stardom of Akshay Kumar.”
When asked if he fears that the makers might opt for Buy One Get One (BOGO) ticket-free scheme, Taran Adarsh replied, “If that happens, it’ll be a big letdown for a star cast film. It spoils people. Munjyaand Srikanth never implemented this scheme. These are the films that everyone would have pardoned had they opted for it. But with Sarfira, which has a face value, the makers can’t and they shouldn’t opt for it. Going for BOGO on the first day is like aapne pehle din hi hathyaar daal diye.”
Also Read: Akshay Kumar praises Radhikka Madan’s outstanding work in Sarfira at Pune screening; says, “The Best Performance I Have Ever Seen”
More Pages: Sarfira Box Office Collection
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