Is Alpha a hit or flop? As Alia Bhatt, Sharvari spy thriller winds up under ₹100 cr, decoding its box office performance
Here's the latest box office buzz making the rounds:
Alia Bhatt and Sharvari-starrer Alpha had rolled out in theatres some three weeks ago with substantial buzz. It was the first female-led spy thriller from Yash Raj Films and boasted a cameo from Hrithik Roshan , no less. Most trade insiders knew the movie would not touch the dizzying heights of War and Pathaan but expected it to do well. 19 days on, the movie is now nearing the end of its run at the ticket-window, and it may do so, without touching the ₹ 100 crore rupees mark worldwide. At this juncture, the question arises - is Alpha a hit or a flop? We decode:
Adding to this, Alpha stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. Alpha ticket-window performance Alpha opened with an underwhelming ₹ 9.25 crore rupees domestically, but recovered over the weekend to earn ₹ 34 crore rupees in its first weekend. Thereafter, it was a story of freefall for the Shiv Rawail movie. The movie ended week 1 under ₹ 50 crore rupees, and managed just ₹ 6 crore rupees in its second weekend. By the third weekend, the figure had dropped to a dismal ₹ 1.30 crore rupees, with its daily earnings reduced to ₹ 25 lakh by its third Friday. On its third Monday, the movie was a complete wipeout, earning less than ₹ 20 lakh, all but ending its run. By then, Alpha had collected ₹ 58 crore rupees net ( ₹ 69 crore rupees gross) in India. Adding the $3 million it grossed overseas, Alpha’s worldwide gross stands at ₹ 98 crore rupees. Given that the movie’s earnings have hit a wall, it is unlikely to cross ₹ 100 crore rupees before it shuts shop sometime this week.
Meanwhile, Alpha was as per reports made on a budget of around ₹ 100 crore rupees, with additional spending on marketing and publicity. While the exact landing cost of the movie was never revealed by YRF, trade estimates suggest it needs around ₹ 120-125 crore rupees in net earnings to break even. As of July 22, the movie’s net earnings are around ₹ 75 crore rupees. With less than ₹ 20 lakh coming in per day, it is impossible for Alpha to reach its break-even point now, meaning it will end its theatrical run as a box-office disappointment. It is the second YRF Spy Universe movie in a row (after War 2) that failed to break even, spelling disaster for the franchise.
Notably, Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha is part of the YRF Spy Universe, featuring Alia and Sharvari as two assassins. The movie also stars Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor in pivotal roles, with a cameo from Hrithik Roshan, who reprises his role from the War films.
As per the latest buzz, Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times