Two of the most-awaited films of 2013 - "Shuddh Desi Romance" and "Zanjeer" - hit the screens on the same day (6 September). But only film has emerged as a big winner.
Sushant Singh Rajput-Parineeti Chopra starrer has grossed more than Ram Charan-Priyanka Chopra's "Zanjeer."
Accroding to trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh, "Shuddh Desi Romance" is a hit while "Zanjeer" has turned out to be a big disaster.
"Shuddh Desi Romance"
This love story opened to an impressive start at the domestic box office on the first day of its release. The film maintained its momentum and continued to perform well during the first weekend. It has collected approximately ₹23 crore in the first three days.
"#ShuddhDesiRomance *actuals* Fri 6.45 cr, Sat 7.90 cr, Sun 8.92 cr". Total: 23.27 cr. SUPERB!," Taran Adarsh tweeted.
The Sushant-starrer, made with a controlled budget, has proved yet again that a film having good content will always leave a mark. The film has joined a list of interesting and creative flicks of 2013 including "Kai Po Che", "Aashiqui 2", "Jolly LLB" and "Raanjhanna" among others that have won public admiration.
The word of mouth has been super-strong for "Shuddh Desi Romance." The business of the film is growing day by day. Ganesh Chathurthi holiday (9 September) is likely to help in the film's collections.
"Zanjeer"
Despite aggressive promotions, "Zanjeer" has failed miserably to impress the audience. The action drama, a remake of the cult classic film of the same name, is clearly a non-starter at the ticket window.
The film has earned around ₹10.16 cr net in its first weekend. "#Zanjeer *Hindi version - revised* Fri 3.58 cr, Sat 2.89 cr, Sun 3.69 cr. Total: 10.16 cr nett. DISASTER!" Taran tweeted.
However, the Telugu version of the film - "Thoofan" - has taken off to a good start in Andhra Pradesh, where Ram Charan enjoys a huge fan following. The film earned a total of ₹8.14 with a distributors share of ₹6.65 crore on its first day.