Diwali releases open strong but fail to sustain momentum at Box Office

Even with a festive start, Bollywood's Diwali releases, Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, are seeing slipping collections as viewers choose films with stronger stories and engaging content

Bollywood’s Diwali releases, Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, have shown underwhelming performance in their first three days despite a promising start on 21 October. Both films witnessed a 14–25 per cent drop in collections compared to their opening day, according to a report by The Economic Times, signalling that festive footfall alone may not guarantee sustained box office success.

 

A film expert, Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, told ET that this year’s Diwali releases appeared to have missed the fireworks. He added that patchy word-of-mouth and early adjustments in show schedules suggested audiences were growing more selective and content-conscious.

 

Thamma’s three-day performance

Produced under Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU), Thamma, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, opened with ₹24 crore and collected ₹18.6 crore on its second day, showing a 22.5 per cent drop. On day three, it earned ₹10.42 crore, taking its total to ₹53.02 crore, Hindustan Times reported.

 

Helmed by Aditya Sarpotdar and written by Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew, and Arun Falara, the vampire horror-comedy revolves around a journalist who transforms into a vampiric creature called Betal. The film received positive reviews for its blend of horror and comedy and has already surpassed the lifetime domestic collection of Kajol’s Maa (₹36.08 crore).

Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat holds steady

Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa’s romantic drama, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, surprised trade analysts with a ₹9 crore opening. Its second-day collection dropped modestly to ₹7.75 crore, and day three brought in ₹6 crore, taking its total to ₹22.75 crore, according to a TOI report.

 

Despite facing a bigger competitor in Thamma, the film held strong, especially in regions such as Punjab and West Bengal, where mid-scale romantic dramas rarely perform exceptionally. Analysts noted that consistent word-of-mouth and content appeal have contributed to the film’s steady run, hinting at possible growth over the weekend.

 

Comparative box office collections (Day 1–3)
Film	Day 1 (₹ Cr)	Day 2 (₹ Cr)	Day 3 (₹ Cr)	Total (₹ Cr)
Thamma	24	18.6	10.42	53.02
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat	9	7.75	6	22.75

 

While Thamma continues to lead the Diwali box office, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’s resilience demonstrates that audience preference for engaging storytelling can balance the scale against larger releases.