Padmaavat clocks Rs 1.14 billion at the box office over extended weekend

The controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat appears to have helped the film at the box office, with the movie's total domestic collection (net after tax) clocking Rs 1.14 billion over the last weekend, since its release on Thursday. It reported high earnings despite being not released in four states amid violent protests by certain groups.

Padmaavat, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, opened with a Thursday (non-holiday) collection of Rs 190 million and witnessed a massive jump in earnings the following day on Republic Day, raising close to Rs 320 million. On Saturday and Sunday, the film earned Rs 270 million and Rs 310 million, respectively. The extended weekend resulted in a total collection of Rs 1.09 billion. 

It had also raised Rs 50 million through paid previews across select venues in the country.

"We are humbled with the response for Padmaavat. Millions of Indians have already watched the film and occupancy levels for shows are very strong across more than 4000 screens – with most running housefull. The feedback for the film has been overwhelming. We are grateful to the government, state authorities, police and our fans for making the opening a stellar success,” said a spokesperson from Viacom18, the co-producer and distributor of the film.

The film has not been released in four states – Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and parts of Haryana. This has affected collections as these states contribute nearly 30 per cent to any Bollywood film’s business, especially in the first weekend. Analysts believe that the film could still look at breaking even at the domestic box office, depending on how it holds during the week.

Overseas, the movie has been well received in traditional markets like the US and Canada. In these markets, it has opened to collections in the range of $1.8 to $2 million, outdoing previous successful Bollywood projects like PK, Dangal and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.