Banjo box office prediction: Will it be Riteish Deshmukh's most successful solo release?

Riteish Deshmukh-starrer Banjo is likely to witness a good opening at the Indian as well as overseas box office on Friday, September 23. The movie has the potential to become Riteish's most successful solo release.

The actor has tasted success when it comes to multi-starrer films, the recent one being Housefull 3 that went on to enter the Rs 100 crore club. However, Riteish hasn't been fortunate enough with solo releases, except for the Marathi movie Lai Bhaari, which broke several regional box office records.

Meanwhile, the trailer and posters of Banjo have been creating a huge buzz. The widespread promotion, which lasted for more than two months, is expected to work in favour of the film. Despite getting released alongside two other films — Parched and Wah Taj — Banjo is expected to collect a decent amount at the Indian box office on its first day. However, it may face some challenge from last week's release, Pink, which has taken the box office by storm.

Riteish essays the role of a banjo player in the film and since music plays an integral part in the film, it is expected to draw music-driven audience to the theatres as well.

Set to be released in over 1,200 screens, Banjo is likely to get a boost from 5-10 percent advance booking on its opening day. The film, which also stars Nargis Fakri, is expected to collect over Rs 2 crore in the domestic market on its first day.

Banjo has a Maharashtrian favour to it and is hence expected to witness a bigger opening in the state as compared to other states. Also, although Riteish has a huge fan-base worldwide, his contribution to Marathi cinema and his performance in Lai Bhaari have made him a huge star in the state.

Banjo marks the Bollywood directorial debut of National-award winning Marathi director Ravi Jadhav. The film revolves around street artists, their issues and the challenges they face to create a niche for themselves in the world of music.