'Chhapaak' box office verdict: Deepika Padukone starrer fails to meet expectations

Deepika Padukone's much-hyped Chhapaak, which completed one week in theatres on Thursday (January 16, 2020), has failed to live up to expectations at the box office. Speaking to Deccan Herald, trade analyst Joginder Tuteja says the film's performance is 'okay' as it remained stable on the weekdays, showing limited growth.

"Chhapaak was shot on a controlled budget of Rs 35 crore (including publicity and advertising) Around Rs 26 crore has been recovered through sale to digital and music rights. It needs to collect around Rs nine crore (to recover the investment), which it might be able to. However, theatrically it is going to be below-average," he adds.

Chhapaak hit screens alongside Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan's Tanhaji and this affected its opening day collection. Deepika's movie made around Rs five crore on day one, failing to beat Alia Bhatt's Raazi, which had raked in around Rs eight crore. While the movie clicked with the target audience, it did not find wider patronage, which proved to be its downfall.

Chhapaak also ran into controversy following Deepika Padukone's visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. Some tweeple with right-wing ideals asked fans to boycott the flick and this resulted in a lot of negativity. The film also received several one-star ratings on IMDB, which resulted in it losing the 'perception battle'.

That said and done, the movie has received rave reviews with most critics praising the Piku actress for delivering a solid performance. As such, it remains a landmark release for DP.
Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar, highlights the challenges faced by real-life acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The cast also includes Vikrant Massey, Madhurjeet Sarghi and Payal Nair.

Meanwhile, with the film in theatres, Deepika might soon begin promoting the eagerly-awaited 83, directed by Kabir Khan. The film, featuring Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, revolves around India's triumph in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.