The eagerly awaited Ek Villain Returns, which was directed by Mohit Suri, has had a respectable opening weekend. Early estimates place the film's opening day take anywhere between Rs. 6.80 and 7.40 crores, with show-by-show occupancy increasing. The morning start suggested a start of Rs. 6 crores, but after the general public began to watch around midday, the opening day collection increased to over Rs. 7 crores. After the release of the trailer, the industry expected an opening of around Rs 9 to 10 crore.
The occupancy rate for Ek Villain Returns improves as you get away from major cities. On opening day, the concept of a thriller with intimacy and song has captured the attention of the audience. As the opening day audience witnessed the young walk out in abundance, the brand of Ek Villain has also attracted an audience to the movie. There is a devoted fanbase as well as one-sided lovers for such love stories, and they have also gone to see Ek Villain Returns in theaters.
The trend throughout the weekend will provide us with insight into audience word of mouth. With even a regular trend of 10% jump per day, the film has a chance to register a weekend of Rs. 25 crore from this point on. From there, if it doubles throughout the course of its lifespan, it will find itself in a position that is far better than 99 percent of Hindi films this year.
A lifetime gross of Rs. 50 crores would be a fair outcome for the cast members, and it would also represent a significant increase above the combined gross of the past three John Abraham films, Attack, Satyameva Jayate 2, and Mumbai Saga. However, there is a long road ahead, and each day will get us closer. Saturday and Sunday will provide clues as to where the film is heading. A flat trend would be risky on Monday, but an upward swing over the weekend will give the movie a chance to trend till Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan, which are set to be released on August 11.
