WILL 120 BAHADUR, MASTIII 4 SCORE AT THE BOX OFFICE?

Last week’s De De Pyaar De 2 has underperformed at the box office. Thankfully, it opened better than Ajay Devgn’s previous film, Son Of Sardaar 2, which collected Rs. 7.25 crores. De De Pyaar De 2 collected Rs. 8.25 crores on its release day, and then jumped to Rs. 12 crores and Rs. 13.25 crores on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Sadly, it had a major fall on Monday, earning Rs. 3.75 crores. As expected, due to the offer, it saw a slight increase in the collections, earning Rs. 4.50 crores. The first week collections are expected to be Rs. 47-48 crores. If all goes well, it’ll earn around Rs. 65-70 crores in its lifetime.

This week will see the release of two diametrically opposite films. 120 Bahadur stars Farhan Akhtar in the lead role. This means that this is his first film as a lead in more than 4 years, the last one being Toofaan. This time, Farhan plays the role of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who bravely fought the 1962 Indo-China war with a team of just 120 soldiers against thousands of Chinese armymen. The film looks like a quality product. Also, they have shot in real locations and that has added to the authenticity.

However, the songs of the film haven’t worked and it looks like an elite product. The makers held the paid previews on Tuesday, and the response was encouraging. Despite this sampling, the advance hasn’t picked up. If all goes well, 120 Bahadur will open at Rs. 3-4 crores.

Mastiii 4 stars Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani, who have always featured in the previous parts of the franchise as well – Masti (2004), Grand Masti (2013) and Great Grand Masti (2016). This time, they are joined by Ruhii Singh, Shreya Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Natalia Janoszek, Shaad Randhawa and Nishant Singh Malkani, along with Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. It is directed by Milap Zaveri, who also helmed the surprise Diwali hit, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat.

The trailer of Mastiii 4 is full of naughty and adult jokes. While a section of the audience liked it, many found it offensive and crass. The ticket sales of this film, too, haven't been encouraging. Like 120 Bahadur, it might open at around Rs. 3-4 crores or even lower.

A section of the industry believes that today’s under 30 audience has never really experienced a sex comedy on the big screen. The way this demographic poured into cinemas for Saiyaara showed how hungry they are for bold, youth centric content. Mastiii 4 could tap into a similar curiosity factor, even if it is unlikely to match Saiyaara at the box office. If reports are positive and the buzz builds, the film can spring a surprise from Saturday. In that sense, strong word of mouth will be absolutely vital.