The Akshay Kumar starrer Rakshan Bandhan directed by Aanand L Rai and also featuring Bhumi Pednekar was released yesterday. Hitting screens on the auspicious day of Rakshabandhan the family entertainer which is high on emotional value was expected to open on a good note with collections on Day 1 seeing double digits being registered. However, contrary to expectations Raksha Bandhan has underperformed. Collecting just Rs. 8.20 cr on its opening day the film seems to have suffered due to the competition from Laal Singh Chaddha and also due to the issue of screen sharing in certain locations.
In this box office report, we look at the opening day collections of Raksha Bandhan while comparing the same to previous releases of 2022. Collecting Rs. 8.20 cr Raksha Bandhan has managed to surpass the collections of Ek Villain Returns which collected Rs. 7.05 cr to emerge as the ninth highest opening day grosser. Despite the hype and promotions surrounding Raksha Bandhan the Aanand L Rai directorial does not manage to surpass previous releases like KGF - Chapter 2 which collected Rs. 53.95 cr, RRR which collected Rs. 20.07 cr, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 which collected Rs. 14.11 cr, Bachchhan Paandey which collected Rs. 13.25 cr, Samrat Prithviraj which collected Rs. 10.70 cr, Gangubai Kathiawadi which collected Rs. 10.50 cr, Shamshera which collected Rs. 10.25 cr, and even JugJugg Jeeyo which had collected Rs. 9.28 cr. On the other hand, when compared to non-dubbed Hindi releases Raksha Bandhan emerges as the seventh highest opening day grosser of 2022.
Going forward, Raksha Bandhan which enjoys greater penetration in the mass-dominated Hindi belt is expected to see an increase in business. The lackluster advance booking and the issue of screen sharing with Laal Singh Chaddha have greatly affected the overall opening day business of the film. However, with the extended festive opening weekend of Rakshabandhan, followed by Independence Day on Monday, August 15, the business of the Akshay Kumar starrer is likely to see good growth.
Currently, trade predictions state that the film which has received mostly positive reviews will have to rely heavily on good audience word of mouth and spot bookings to post better collections. Despite this, trade circles remain optimistic claiming that the business of the film will grow with each passing day.
Top 10 Highest Opening Day Grossers of 2022 at a glance:
KGF - Chapter 2 - Rs. 53.95 cr
RRR - Rs. 20.07 cr
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 - Rs. 14.11 cr
Bachchhan Paandey - Rs. 13.25 cr
Samrat Prithviraj - Rs. 10.70 cr
Gangubai Kathiawadi - Rs. 10.50 cr
Shamshera - Rs. 10.25 cr
JugJugg Jeeyo - Rs. 9.28 cr
Raksha Bandhan - Rs. 8.20 cr
Ek Villain Returns - Rs. 7.05 cr
