It was predicted in this column that The Diplomat will open in Rs. 3-4 crores range. Well, this is what happened as the first day collections have come to Rs. 4.03 crores. The good part is that the upper end of the range has been reached by the film, and that gives it some sort of platform.
Not that the numbers are great because with John Abraham in the lead, one does expect better collections even if the film’s subject and treatment is niche. Still, considering the state of the industry where footfalls are just so hard to come by, and coupled with the fact that the Shivam Nair directed film has arrived with minimal marketing and promotion, these are still fair collections at least. Yes, the first half of the day did get impacted since theatres were closed due to Holi, but then this is the very factor that benefitted the film in the evening due to holiday factor.
It now has to be seen that where does the film head from here. Ideally, it should go up if it has to sustain well during the weekdays and while Rs. 4 crores need to come in for sure, anything around Rs. 5 crores would, in fact, be fair again. If that turns out to be the case, then one can well expect the weekend to be headed for Rs. 15 crores mark.
Note: All collections as per various box office sources
