Bollywood will have two Independence Day releases this year, with John Abraham-starrer Batla House and multi-starrer Mission Mangal hitting the theatres on Thursday, 15 August.
The two films will enjoy a four-day opening weekend and a free two-week run at the theatres, as the next release, Prabhas’ action flick Saaho, will open on 30 August. This should ensure that both the films are able to make big bucks at the box office, unless of course, either one turns out to be a really bad film.
“Both Independence Day releases are expected to do very well at the box office. Luckily for them, Saaho release has also been pushed. There’s also Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, but that’s got a niche multiplex audience,” says movie business analyst Girish Johar.
According to Girish Johar, Mission Mangal is expected to earn Rs 20 crore plus, and Batla House might make around Rs 13 crore.
As the exact screen count for both the films isn’t final yet, Girish says that the prediction as of now would be that Mission Mangal, which has Akshay Kumar in the forefront and a lot of buzz around it, should be “able to earn Rs 20 crore plus.”
“It is first of its kind, revolving around a space mission. Akshay Kumar is headlining it and it has got a great ensemble cast. And it’s backed by R Balki. So the expectations are high. The trailer has been received well. There is a message, there is quirk, and family audiences will find it appealing. It should be option one on the weekend,” he says.
Girish puts the day one figures for Batla House at around Rs 13-14 crore. Speaking about Batla House, he says, “It’s a thriller drama, realistic action. And these films have their own target audience.”
Mission Mangal is said to be made at a budget of around Rs 100 crore, and the film needs to have a great opening weekend to stay safe. Batla House, on the other hand, is made at a lesser cost of around Rs 60 crore.
Mission Mangal is based on the true story of the team at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that made India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, launched in 2013, a success.
Directed by Jagan Shakti, the film has a formidable cast, which includes Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Sonakshi Sinha and Sharman Joshi, among others.
Nikkhil Advani-directed Batla House is also based on true events of the controversial police encounter operation, which took place in Delhi in 2008.
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