Fukrey makes a welcome box office return, gathers Rs 31.65 crore in opening weekend

It was a bolt from the blue for Bollywood this weekend as the Fukrey franchise returned with a bang. Against all odds, Fukrey Returns did business of Rs 8.10 crore on Friday, which is three times more than the opening day collection of the first installment.

While trade pundits expected the film to garner around Rs 3-4 crore on day one, Fukrey Returns beat all expectations and emerged as a hit.

The film grossed Rs 23.65 crore over the weekend, taking the three-day total to Rs 31.65 crore. Occupancy on Sunday was higher than Friday and Saturday. On day two, Fukrey Returns saw 35-40 percent growth after recording strong collections in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and East Punjab.

According to a Box Office India report, Fukrey Returns did 225 percent times better than the first film on an all-India basis. North India proved to be the most profitable circle for the film with Delhi/Uttar Pradesh minting as much as Rs 10.50 crore and East Punjab getting Rs 4.50 crore. With a strong brand recall for the film in this region, Fukrey Returns has received around Rs 15 crore in three days of its release in North India. Apart from north India, the film saw a good run in Mumbai with revenue of around Rs 9 crore during the same time.

With a budget of Rs 30 crore, the sequel's box office return isvery close to the lifetime collections of the first Fukrey film which made Rs 37 crore. And its run could be uninterrupted as it will see competition only in the penultimate week of this month after the release of Tiger Zinda Hai starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.

Talking about Fukrey Returns making its way among established brands, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted that the film has joined film franchisees like Golmaal, Housefull, Hera Pheri, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, and Welcome.

For a film with a medium budget, the three-day business of Fukrey Returns is a sign of revival for the industry in December. It is good news especially since Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmavati — originally scheduled to release on December 1 — did not receive clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The film is entertaining audiences not only on its home turf but even overseas. In the international markets, Fukrey Returns raked in Rs 4.86 crore during its opening weekend.

It has also raced past big budget movies in 2018 like Jagga Jasoos, Kaabil and Half Girlfriend in weekend collections, with those films collecting Rs 31.53 crore, Rs 30.65 crore and Rs 28.87 crore, respectively. At Rs 31.65 crore, Fukrey Returns ranks 11th amid highest weekend collections by films in 2017.