'Sooryavanshi' box office collection day 1: Akshay Kumar-starrer sets the cash registers ringing

The film has been directed by Rohit Shetty

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar's latest movie Sooryavanshi, the first major film to hit the screens after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, has opened to a thunderous response at the box office. It raked in nearly Rs 27 crore on day 1 much to the delight of 'Akki' fans. The biggie has emerged as Hindi cinema's best opener under the 'new normal'. The record was previously held by Roohi, which collected around Rs 3 crore in March. Akshay's previous outing Bell Bottom collected around Rs 2.5 crore despite the fact that it didn't hit screens in Maharashtra.

The actioner benefited from the fact that Covid-19 curbs have been eased in most areas. Moreover, theatres have been allowed to open in Maharastra. A large chunk of the collection has come from the mass centres, which is not too surprising given the film's genre and content. The Diwali holiday worked in the film's favour, helping it enjoy good occupancy in the morning and afternoon.

There was a perception that Sooryavanshi would face competition from the Hollywood biggie Eternals in urban markers. While Chloe Zhao's magnum opus garnered a fair deal of attention, the mixed reviews played spoilsport. Moreover, a section of the audience stayed away from it due to its bold subplots. These factors established the Akshay-starrer as the choice of the aam janta.

Sooyavanshi, meanwhile, received rave reviews from critics with most reviewers praising the action sequences and the performances. The word of mouth is positive, which should help it stay strong in the coming days. The film is likely to witness good growth today as it is the first Saturday.

Soioryavanshi, directed by Rohit Shetty, is a part of the filmmaker's 'Cop Universe' and revolves around what happens when the protagonist locks horns with a deadly foe. It has an impressive cast that includes Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh and Gulshan Grover.