BOX OFFICE REPORT: SATYAGRAHA TAKES A DECENT START

BOX OFFICE REPORT: SATYAGRAHA TAKES A DECENT START

    Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha got mixed reaction from the critics, but managed a decent initial at the box office. The film took a slowish start on Friday, but picked up on Sunday. Since the reviews were mixed, the audience decided to give the film a try. And this Amitabh Bachchan-Ajay Devgn-Manoj Bajpayee film passed muster in the first three days.
    The film, made on a budget of approximately 62 crore — with a prints and advertising budget of around 17 crore — went wide with its release. It could net 30 crore from satellite rights and it has earned around 9 crore (Gross Box Office Collection) from overseas. In India, the film collected around 35.15 crore in the first three days. The producers have sent out an official claim of 39.12 crore.
    In fact, the film corporation that bankrolled Chennai Express had financed Satyagraha as well and they, very thoughtfully, gave away some of their screens to this movie.
    Trade sources say, “Since the film was shot entirely in Bhopal, it was expected to do very well in the Central Circuit. However, that hasn’t happened. It did find resonance in select Metros, though.”
    Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Cafe lost steam in the second week because Satyagraha ate into their share of the pie. The other August releases — Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara and Chennai Express — also continued to make small holes in the cinegoers’ pockets because monies are still coming.
    While CE has set records, OUATIMD is fading away slowly. However, the trade is jubilant that in August alone, the footfalls at theatres — across the globe — for Bollywood cinema have been unprecedented. The rupee may have lost its shine on the world map, but the dream merchants of Bollywood continue to rake in the moolah even in these testing times.