A pleasant surprise. Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past has taken a start at the box office on Friday morning. The occupancy is around 10 per cent, though several smaller centres in the Hindi belt are reporting much stronger numbers in the 30-50 per cent range. The opening is notably better than the week’s main release, Main Vaapas Aaunga, despite the latter having far higher costs.
There were virtually no expectations from Haunted, given its B-movie level production values. However, the film first surprised by registering decent advances and has now followed that up by taking an opening on Friday. The original Haunted 3D, released in 2011, was a HIT at the box office. The director has also delivered several successful low-budget horror films, including major hits like Raaz. In recent years, however, this brand of horror had lost its appeal, leading to a perception that the genre’s time had passed. This opening suggests there may still be an audience for it.
Whether the film can sustain this initial response remains to be seen, but the fact that such an opening has arrived is a minor relief during what has otherwise been an utterly dull period at the box office since Bhooth Bangla in April.
The week’s other release, Governor, has also opened better than expectations. The main release, Main Vaapas Aaunga, however, has disappointed and will now depend heavily on audience reception and word of mouth to show any growth over the weekend.
There are also two Hollywood releases, Disclosure Day and Backrooms, which are expected to put up decent to good numbers over the weekend. The holdover, Obsession, continues to dominate at the box office and remains on course for a Rs. 100 crore plus final total.
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more box office updates.
Disclaimer: The box office figures, opening-day forecasts, and lifetime collection projections mentioned in this article are subjective trade estimates compiled from various commercial parameters, advance booking trends, and market sentiment. These are purely analytical tracking figures and do not constitute actual, finalised collections or certified accounting statements. Pinkvilla does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the pinpoint accuracy or completeness of these projections. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual, production house, artist, or commercial entity involved in the making of the film.
