'Neerja' mints over Rs. 22 crore in opening weekend

Ram Madhvani's "Neerja", which stars actress Sonam Kapoor as Neerja Bhanot, the air hostess who sacrificed her life while saving passengers on board hijacked Pan Am flight 73, has received an overwhelming response at the box office. The biographical thriller has collected Rs.22.01 crore in its opening weekend.

"Neerja", which released on February 19, witnessed an impressive growth over the weekend due to positive word of mouth. With a collection of Rs.4.70 crore and Rs.7.60 crore on Friday and Saturday, the film witnessed a good growth on Sunday where it minted Rs.9.71 crore, read a statement.

The film revolves around the Libya backed Abu Nidal Organisation's hijacking of Pan Am flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan in September 1986, specifically focusing on flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who ensured the failure of the hijacking by preventing the plane from getting off the ground.

With a strong weekend response, the film is expected to dominate the box office in the coming days too, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

"'Neerja' is flying high. . Day-wise growth in biz clearly indicates it has won hearts and conquered the box office. Sunday biz was terrific," Adarsh posted on Twitter on Monday.

"With an impressive weekend total on hand, 'Neerja' is expected to dominate on weekdays too...

"'Neerja' is a shining example of a brilliant film backed by well planned and executed distribution strategy and superb marketing," he added.

Produced by Fox Star Studios and Bling Unplugged, the film also features Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani and Yogendra Tiku.