Adipurush has failed the crucial Monday test. The Om Raut magnum opus had taken a running start at the box office with exceedingly good numbers over the weekend. However, on its first working day, the film has crash landed, suffering a huge 77% drop in collections.
Adipurush managed to earn only Rs 16 crore net in the domestic market on Monday, a 76.8% drop from its Sunday figure of Rs 69.1 crore and way below its opening day haul of Rs 86 crore. The Telugu version earned just Rs 6.9 crore while the Hindi version fared slightly better at Rs 8.5 crore. This drop means that the film may now struggle to revive in the second weekend and a long lifetime run becomes unlikely.
Overseas too, the film suffered and its overall gross worldwide earning now stands at Rs 323 crore in four days. Given that it has reportedly been mounted on a massive budget of over Rs 500 crore, it will be difficult for it to break even theatrically.
The reason for Adipurush’s drop is clearly negative word of mouth and the countless controversies plaguing it. The film has not received positive reviews, while its dialogue and characterisation of characters like Ravana, Lord Hanuman, and Sita have received criticism from viewers as well. All this has meant that word of mouth has not helped the film.
Adipurush, which released on Friday, is based on Ramayana, and has been courting controversy over its dialogue. Many have criticised the modern lingo used by some characters – chiefly Hanuman – saying it degrades their standing. The film has also been criticised for taking liberties in its plot and deviating from the epic, which is considered holy by many Hindus. Adipurush stars Prabhas as Lord Rama, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana.
