Trade predicts Animal will open in the range of Rs. 35-40 crores; laud Ranbir Kapoor for choosing such a MASSY role: “You can find fault in his films. But you CANNOT find fault in Ranbir Kapoor’s performance”

By Fenil Seta -

November 29, 2023 - 10:27 AM IST

The trade, industry and audience are mightily excited for Ranbir Kapoor-Anil Kapoor-Bobby Deol-Rashmika Mandanna starrer Animal, which releases on December 1. Bollywood Hungama spoke to the trade to understand how big the film will open at the box office.

Trade predicts Animal will open in the range of Rs. 35-40 crores; laud Ranbir Kapoor for choosing such a MASSY role: “You can find fault in his films. But you CANNOT find fault in Ranbir Kapoor’s performance”

Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, "It's a bit too early to comment on the opening but I feel that it'll take a flying start at the box office as the trailer has done the trick. With Kabir Singh (2019), Sandeep Reddy Vanga proved that he is a director to watch out for. But with Animal, he has gone into a different zone. Apart from action, there's a strong father-son angle."

Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst, stated, "The advance of Animal is fantastic. Despite ‘A’ rating and lengthy duration, the craze is humongous. Ranbir has the penchant to have huge openings on non-holiday. Animal will be no exception."

Trade analyst Atul Mohan chose to differ, "Kabir Singh's music was super-hit before release. The same hasn't happened in the case of Animal. Secondly, Kabir Singh was a love story. Animal is a dark father-son story. It seems that there's no scope for any relief. And the film is too lengthy. In many multiplexes, films start very late and has a 15-20 minute interval. This means an audience will have to invest nearly 4 hours. This might be a deterrent. And even if the multiplexes play shows 24 hours, they won't be able to accommodate more than 6 shows in a screen."

He continued, "Also, it's an 'A' rated film. Due to bloodshed, a section of the audience will stay away."

Taran Adarsh, on this aspect, opined, "I genuinely feel that if the content is worth it, it is bound to work. Films like Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Sholay (1975), Lagaan (2001) etc had a run time of more than 3 hours. I am not comparing Animal with these all-time greats. But people want to watch a good film, regardless of the run time. Otherwise, even a 90 minute film can fail, if it doesn't have a strong content."

He added, "The showcasing will be curtailed. However, it'll be compensated with 'House Full' boards!"

Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise cinema hall in Jaipur, agreed, "The long length will affect showcasing. The makers will have to content themselves with 5 shows per screen. Certain theatres might not play a show at 11:15 pm or 11:30 pm as it'll end at 3:00 am. If the film is entertaining, the length doesn't affect much."

Opening day predictions

When asked to predict the first day numbers, Raj Bansal said, "Animal will open at around Rs. 28-30 crores."

Girish Johar predicted, "The opening day will be in the range of Rs. 35-40 crore. It can even go higher. The makers are smartly promoting it down South. The strategy worked well in the case of Jawan. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has a huge fan base in the Telugu and Tamil belt, which will also benefit the film."

Atul Mohan, too, believed that Animal’s opening can be between Rs. 35-40 crores.

Ranbir Kapoor's second Rs. 300 crore grosser?

Kabir Singh opened at a huge Rs. 20.21 crores and went on to collect Rs. 278.24 crores in its lifetime. Can Animal then go beyond this number and emerge as the second film of Ranbir Kapoor to cross the Rs. 300 crores mark after Sanju (2018)?

Taran Adarsh said, "Yes it can go beyond Kabir Singh. But it all depends on the content."

Girish Johar agreed, "I have no doubts on that." Raj Bansal, in agreement, added, "Of course (it can collect more than Rs. 300 crores). One thing has been proved that action is here to stay. All the films this year that did exceptionally well like Pathaan, Gadar 2 and Jawan were all action films. Animal is totally stylized-yet-desi action entertainer, like Jawan. It’s director knows how to present a hero. If the content is good, it can surprise at the box office."

Will Sam Bahadur go the OMG 2 way?

Animal won't get a solo release as Sam Bahadur will also share screens. Many felt that the Vicky Kaushal starrer should have moved from December 1. The ticket sales of this period war drama, however, are better than expected. Hence, it can be a repeat of Gadar 2-OMG 2 clash, where the latter became a hit despite clashing with the mighty Sunny Deol starter.

Taran Adarsh said, "I genuinely hope that it goes the OMG 2 way. I am very confident of Meghna Gulzar and Vicky Kaushal. But they are facing a mighty opposition in the form of Animal. They are making the film for the audience. That audience has tilted towards the other film. I am hoping the content is strong and I wish they had postponed it by a week."

Girish Johar emphasized, "Sam Bahadur looks like a sincere biopic. The promotions are nuanced and not over the top. The awareness level is quite good. Because of Animal, timing thoda wrong ho gaya hai. If it had got pushed by a week, it would have been better. Hopefully, the content will do the talking and it'll pick up from Saturday onwards. If the content is weak, it'll prove detrimental."

He further said, "Also, it's an urban, family film. Animal is macho and massier. An opening of Rs. 5 to 7 crore will help the film get a foot in the door."

Atul Mohan is quite confident of Sam Bahadur, "Meghna Gulzar has created a niche with the success of Raazi (2018). Vicky Kaushal, meanwhile, has donned the army uniform once again after Uri (2019). It has a patriotic feel. The family audience will prefer to watch this film. Sam Bahadur will open around Rs. 8-10 crores, depending on the screen count. However, the word of mouth will be very crucial for both the films."

Raj Bansal stated, "I liked Sam Bahadur's trailer. I have high hopes from the film. Vicky Kaushal has acted very well, it seems. The director is talented. But such films have limitations. It'll open around Rs. 5 crores."

He reasoned why clashing with Animal is not a major issue, "The audience of both films are different. So, it doesn't matter. The only downside is Sam Bahadur will get fewer shows."

All praises for Ranbir Kapoor

Taran Adarsh signed off by appreciating Animal's lead actor Ranbir Kapoor, "I have immense faith in Sandeep Reddy Vanga. And I have always maintained that Ranbir Kapoor is the next superstar. I remember after watching Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009) at a private screening, I called Ranbir and told him that he should do more of mass, masala films. However, he took the different route and worked in films like Tamasha (2015), Bombay Velvet (2015) etc. With all due respect, I feel that if one wants to reach out to the masses, one must do a hardcore, masala action film. And who else better than Sandeep Reddy Vanga (smiles)."

He then said, "You can find fault in his films. But you cannot find fault in Ranbir Kapoor's performance. When Raajneeti (2010) released, Rishi Kapoor ji called to ask my feedback. I told him, 'Your son is something else'."

Finally, he opined, "There's a shot in the trailer where Ranbir enacts how his father behaved with him in the past. That outburst and the way Ranbir has performed it takes the impact of the sequence to an all-time high. I doubt any other actor would have been able to portray such intensity."

Also Read: Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol go shirtless in behind-the-scenes photo: “Animal Ka Baap and Animal Ka Enemy posing”