The box office clash between Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’ and Ajay Devgn’s ‘Azaad’ has been marked by a slow business streak for both films. While ‘Emergency’ maintains a lead in collections, the weekday drop has hit both releases hard.
Emergency: A Historical Drama Facing Weekday Slump
Kangana Ranaut’s directorial venture ‘Emergency,’ which hit theaters on January 17, delves into the turbulent events of the 1975 Indian Emergency. The film opened decently, earning Rs. 2.5 crore on Day 1. Weekend numbers showed promising growth, with Saturday collections of Rs. 3.6 crore (a 44% jump) and Sunday raking in Rs. 4.25 crore (an 18% increase).
However, weekday collections saw a sharp decline. Monday earnings dropped to Rs. 1.05 crore, and Tuesday witnessed only a marginal rise to Rs. 1.07 crore, bringing the film’s five-day total to Rs. 12.47 crore. Industry insiders attribute this fall partially to the ongoing ban in Punjab, which has cut off a significant chunk of potential revenue.
The star-studded cast of ‘Emergency’ includes Kangana as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan, and Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, among others.
Azaad: A Period Drama Fails To Gallop Forward
Released alongside ‘Emergency,’ Abhishek Kapoor’s ‘Azaad,’ starring Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan, and Rasha Thadani, has struggled to capture audience attention. The film, set in the pre-Independence era, tells the story of Govind, a stable boy turned rebel, under the mentorship of dacoit Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn).
Despite an opening day collection of Rs.1.5 crore, ‘Azaad’ failed to maintain momentum. Its Day 2 and Day 3 collections stood at Rs. 1.3 crore and Rs. 1.75 crore, respectively, but the weekdays brought a steep decline. Monday earnings were Rs. 65 lakh, and Tuesday saw a further drop to Rs. 55 lakh, making the five-day total Rs. 5.75 crore. The film has been marred by mixed to negative reviews, further hampering its box office run.
Head-to-Head: Emergency vs Azaad
While both films have faced challenges, ‘Emergency’ has outperformed ‘Azaad’ in terms of box office numbers. Kangana Ranaut’s film nearly doubles the total earnings of ‘Azaad,’ despite its own sluggish weekday performance.
Interestingly, the clash also impacted Ram Charan’s ‘Game Changer,’ which struggled to cross the Rs. 1 crore mark on Tuesday, further emphasizing the overall downturn in theater footfalls.
With both films struggling to keep audiences engaged post-weekend, the coming days will be crucial for their box office fate. While ‘Emergency’ holds the upper hand, the weekday slump and regional bans pose significant hurdles. Meanwhile, ‘Azaad’ needs a turnaround to recover from its underwhelming debut.
