Badhaai Do box office collection day 1: First Bollywood release post third wave starts slow, makes ₹1.6 crore

First day box office figures are in Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar’s Badhaai Do. The film registered an opening collection of ₹1.65 crore, making a slow start.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the figures on Saturday. “#BadhaaiDo records low numbers on Day 1… Select multiplexes of #Mumbai, #Delhi, #NCR contribute maximum to the total… Numbers improved towards evening shows… Needs to gather pace on Day 2 and 3… Fri ₹1.65 cr. #India biz,” he wrote.

The film, billed as a spiritual sequel to the 2018 hit Badhaai Ho!, follows characters played by Rajkummar and Bhumi as two closeted homosexuals who enter into a marriage of convenience to keep conservative family members at bay and protect their respective partners. He plays Shardul Thakur, a police officer who is gay while Bhumi plays a PE teacher. The film is directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni, the actor’s senior from the Film and Television Institute of India.

Badhaai Do is the first Bollywood film to release in theatres after the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Theatres are allowed to operate on 50% capacity. This Friday also saw the release of Hollywood film Death on the Nile in theatres.

Bhumi is happy with the reaction that viewers have given to the trailer and said the story of Badhaai Do will be an eye-opener for the people of India. She told ANI in an interview, “I’m really proud that content filmmakers, making differential and clutter-breaking subjects, feel I can helm a project that is unique and bring their vision to life. I thrive on pushing myself constantly and my decision to do Badhaai Do was based on the fact that I get to sensitively portray a character and give voice to a subject that will be an eye-opener for India.”

Also read: Badhaai Do review: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar’s family entertainer is bold but could have been braver

The actor added, “Badhaai Do is a hot franchise that balances commerce with content. It is really exciting to be an actor in these times because such subjects are being backed by big producers who want to create a change in society. As a human being, I’m drawn to subjects that can lead to a positive impact on people and be a catalyst for social good. I hope Badhaai Do does just the same. I can’t wait for people to watch this film because it is truly, truly endearing.”