Trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on Sept. 2, Friday. Although cab and autorickshaw unions haven't confirmed their support to the Bharat Bandh, buses are to stay off roads.
Because daily commute is going to take a hit, the bandh may slightly affect the 1st day domestic box office collection of Sonakshi Sinha's "Akira." Although movie theatres are likely to stay open, travelling to them is going to get slightly tougher than on other days.
However, the bharat bandh is not going to impact the box office collection of "Akira" in a major way. Films releasing on a non-holiday (Friday) usually pick up over the following days and the Sonakshi-starrer has an added advantage of Ganesh Chaturthi (Sept. 5), which is a partial holiday.
Made on a budget of Rs. 30 crore, "Akira" has already recovered more than half of its cost by selling its music and satellite rights for Rs. 15.5 crore.
Also, with "A Flying Jatt" slowing down at the box office, and three not-so-big but distinct films — "Yea Toh Two Much Ho Gaya," "Sunshine Music Tours" and "Travels and Island City" — releasing on Sept. 2, "Akira" has a good chance of shining at the ticket window.
What are the other pluses?
It's a hardcore action film, which is also female-centric, something that hasn't been done since Rani Mukerji's "Mardaani" hit screens. Also, it's an A. R. Murugadoss project, which means some quality cinema. Sonakshi hasn't played such a part previously, which makes "Akira" all the more special.
Even though the trailer made a good impression, the promotions have been kept to bare minimum. The film is hoping cash in on positive reviews and word-of-mouth.
