Actor Rajkummar Rao's upcoming movie Roohi is set to hit the screens on March 11 much to the delight of fans. The horror-comedy has created a great deal of buzz in trade circles as it is the first major Hindi film to release in theatres after they were allowed to operate at full capacity. Here is a closer look at the box office prospects of Roohi.
The background
The film comes at a time when Rajkumnmar needs a hit to revive his career. The star suffered a setback when Made in China collected mere Rs 90 lakh on an opening day and ended up being a failure. His next release Shimla Mirchi, co-starring Rakul Preet, proved to be a complete washout as it had a 'dated' storyline. His next three films Ludo, Chhalaang, and The White Tiger released directly on streaming platforms.
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The yardstick
Roohi is touted to be the 'crazier sister' of Stree, a film that established Rajkummar as a force to be reckoned with. The movie had collected nearly Rs 7 crore at the box office on an opening day while receiving positive reviews. The general perception is that Stree is a better yardstick for measuring/judging the box office performance of Roohi than Made in China and Shimla Mirchi.
Roohi is not Another Stree
Stree managed to create a fair deal of buzz among fans as it featured top star Shraddha Kapoor as the leading lady. Roohi, on the other hand, stars newcomer Janhvi Kapoor as the female lead. The young star is not considered a bankable name and this is just the second theatrical release of her career. The Covid-19 situation too may as a section of the audience is still likely to avoid visiting theatres.
The bottom line
Roohi is likely to collect around Rs 3 crore on an opening day, a decent figure considering Rajkummar's box office form and the Covid situation. The film will need positive word of mouth to emerge as a commercial success in the long run.