The much-awaited Cocktail 2 has taken a fair start at the India box office today. The film opened with morning show occupancy of around 9.5% across the country, which is a decent beginning considering the urban-skewed appeal of the film and the fact that the major contribution is expected to come from the evening and night shows.
The Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna starrer has been released on a wide scale, with approximately 3900 shows across India. Till 11 am, Cocktail 2 had collected around Rs. 1.94 cr. nett at the India box office. Of this, the national multiplex chains, PVRInox and Cinepolis contributed approximately Rs. 1.05 cr. nett, indicating that the film is primarily being driven by premium multiplex audiences.
The film has also managed to take a lead over the Hollywood animated release Toy Story 5 in the morning shows. This is an encouraging sign for Cocktail 2, especially as the competition at the box office is quite varied this week. The performance in metropolitan centres will be crucial as the day progresses. The Mumbai territory, in particular, has shown a better trend than the national average. The occupancy in this circuit was in double digits, at around 11%, giving the film a stronger footing in one of the most important territories for a film of this genre.
The real test for Cocktail 2 will begin from the afternoon shows onwards. Since the film caters mainly to the youth and urban audiences, the evening and night shows are expected to witness better footfalls. If the film sees a healthy jump post 5 pm, it can end Day 1 on a respectable note. Going by the current trend, Cocktail 2 is looking to collect in the range of Rs. 9-11 cr. Nett on Day 1. A stronger than expected jump in the evening shows could push the film closer to the higher end of this range.
