Deepika's 'Chhapaak' makes decent start at box office

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone's eagerly-awaited Chhapaak, which released today (Jan. 10, 2020), has opened on a decent note at the domestic box office.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Bollywood trade expert Joginder Tuteja said that the Meghna Gulzar-directed movie's day one net collection would be around Rs 6 crore. "Chhapaak is essentially a word of mouth movie and needs positive talk to do well," he said. "It has gained visibility over the past few days (that might work in its favour). The opening day collections will be between Rs 5 crore and Rs 6 crore."

If these estimates hold, Chhapaak will prove to be no match for Bajirao Mastani (Rs 12.6 crore) and Padmaavat (Rs 19 crore). It might also fail to beat Meghna Gulzar's previous release Raazi, which had raked in around Rs 7 crore on day one.

This, however, is not too surprising as Chhapaak is a hard-hitting drama, dealing with the challenges faced by an acid attack survivor, and features virtually no commercial elements. Moreover, its canvas is a lot smaller when compared to Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani.

The film might have fared better had it not hit screens alongside Ajay Devgn's Tanhaji, which has received a much wider release.

Chhapaak has received favorable reviews with most critics calling it one of the finest films of Deepika's career. As such, the industry talk is positive, which might help the drama pick up over the weekend.

Either way, the next few days are likely to decide Chhapaak's fate.

Coming back to the Piku star, Deepika will next be seen in the Kabir Khan-helmed 83, starring her husband Ranveer Singh in the lead. The sports drama revolves around India's triumph in the 1983 Cricket World Cup and features the Befikre actor as former skipper Kapil Dev. The biggie is expected to release on April 10, 2020.