Dhadak box-office prediction: Janhvi Kapoor's film to collect Rs 7 cr opening, Rs 25 cr on first weekend

It's D-Day for Bollywood newcomers Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, as their film Dhadak releases this Friday, July 20 in theatres. The film, produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, is the official remake of Sairat, the Marathi movie that was a pan-India blockbuster in 2016.

Sairat, a regional film, collected Rs 3.95 crore on opening and Rs 25.50 crore on its first weekend at the box office, and it went on to become a superhit thanks to word of mouth.

Will Dhadak surpass the original film's collections at the BO? Will it be compared to Sairat the Marathi one and the South remake? Will it fare well in Maharashtra, where most people have already seen Sairat many times? International Business Times, India spoke to trade expert Girish Wankhede, Founder, Entity One and former General Manager, Marketing, and Public Relations at PVR Pictures, who sounded pretty upbeat about Dhadak. Here is what he had to say.

"Dhadak is releasing in 2,000 to 2,500 screens. Although it is a remake, it is a Karan Johar production and has that grandeur. The movie will do well in the Hindi market but even in Maharashtra, people will go see it for Karan Johar. At the box office, Dhadak will collect Rs 7-8 crore on opening on Friday. It may go on to collect Rs 25 crore in the opening weekend."

Will Dhadak join the Rs 100-crore club of Bollywood at the domestic box office? What are the other factors working in Dhadak's favour apart from it being a Karan Johar production?

"It will definitely join the Rs 100-crore club. Dhadak is the debut of Sridevi's daughter Janhvi Kapoor. The film has tremendous youth connect with Janhvi and Ishaan Khatter. The marketing and promotions and the styling of the film have been so good that it will be a hit. The movie's first poster was launched a month before the shoot even began! That is the confidence Dharma Productions has in the movie," said Wankhede.

"Also, it is a love story with a sad ending. Such movies have always worked with Indian audiences, whether it is Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak or Ek Duje Ke Liye. The music of Ajay-Atul has also connected with people. Dhadak is upbeat," he added.

The advance booking of Dhadak has opened at the box office and it looks like youngsters will definitely want to catch the first day, first show of this romantic film. After Salman Khan's Race 3, Ranbir Kapoor's Sanju has been the only good opener among major stars' movies in Bollywood. Dhadak, with its strong plotline, might run well at the box office.

Ishaan Khatter has already made his film debut with Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds (2017 - released in India in 2018) and was appreciated for his acting. But it remains to be seen how he will fare as a mainstream Bollywood actor. As for Janhvi Kapoor, Dhadak is her first film and an acid test for her, with her being iconic actress Sridevi's daughter and also her father Boney Kapoor being a Bollywood producer.

Dhadak is directed by Shashank Khaitan and releases on July 20, 2018.