'Jab Harry Met Sejal' mints over Rs 15 crore on opening day

After opening to mixed reviews, Shah Rukh Khan's "Jab Harry Met Sejal" registered an opening day collection of Rs 15.25 crore. Trade experts say the extended weekend, which will include Raksha Bandhan on Monday, will determine the fate of the film.

According to a statement issued on behalf of the makers of the film, "Jab Harry Met Sejal" has raked in Rs 15.25 crore on its first working Friday (August 4) at the domestic box office.

The Imtiaz Ali directorial has brought back Shah Rukh in his romantic hero avatar after the intense "Raees", along with his "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" co-star Anushka Sharma. The movie, presented by Red Chillies Entertainment, revolves around a Punjabi tour guide Harry, who helps Gujarati girl Sejal in finding her engagement ring.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh posted on Twitter: "'Jab Harry Met Sejal Friday Rs 15.25 crore. India biz.... Growth on Saturday and Sunday crucial for a respectable total."

Adarsh pointed out that the opening day collection of "Jab Harry Met Sejal" failed to surpass the business registered by "Tubelight" and "Raees" on the first day.

Bollywood trade gurus have pinned their hopes on the film as Bollywood's bigwigs like Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor failed to translate their star power into promising box office collections this year.

Adarsh tweeted: "Top 5 openers 2017: 'Baahubali 2' Rs 41 crore, 'Tubelight' Rs 21.15 crore, 'Raees' Rs. 20.42 crore, 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' Rs 15.25 crore and 'Jolly LLB 2' Rs 13.20 crore. India biz."

Describing the movie, Adarsh posted: "Unimpressive...Good performances... Stunning locales... Bland and boring screenplay... Too many songs."

Another trade expert Komal Nahta said: "The disappointing second half ruins 'Jab Harrry Met Sejal' and pulls it down to becoming a losing fare."

Largely, the reviews have indicated that the soul in the film is missing, and the movie loses it plot halfway through. According to IANS film critic Troy Ribeiro, the film is "banal and lacks emotional connect".

However, Shah Rukh, Anushka and Imtiaz's friends have been supportive of the movie and their performances.

--IANS

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