Alia Bhatt’s much-anticipated thriller Jigra, directed by Vasan Bala, has hit a roadblock at the box office, witnessing a steep decline in its performance on the fourth day. After a reasonably strong opening weekend, the film’s earnings dropped by a concerning 60% on Monday, collecting just Rs 1.50 crore, according to Sacnilk.com.
This brings the film’s total earnings to Rs 18.10 crore since its release on October 11. The breakdown includes Rs 4.55 crore on its opening day, Rs 6.55 crore on Saturday, and Rs 5.5 crore on Sunday.
The weekend hinted at the film's struggles to maintain momentum, raising doubts about its staying power. Even a talented supporting cast, including Manoj Pahwa and Vivek Gomber, hasn’t been enough to boost its commercial success.
With no significant competition until Diwali 2024, when Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again hit theaters, Jigra has a window to recover. However, with its current trajectory, the film's journey remains tough. The emotional thriller has not resonated as expected, and industry analysts suggest that the path ahead will require consistent low-level collections to keep afloat.
Adding to the film's woes is a brewing controversy. Social media buzz took a negative turn after Divya Khossla Kumar accused Alia Bhatt of manipulating box office numbers by allegedly buying tickets to inflate the film's reported earnings. She shared a photo on Instagram showing an empty theater and questioned the authenticity of the reported figures, implying that Jigra's box office success was artificially boosted. Her claims stirred further skepticism, casting a shadow over the film’s commercial credibility.
The fallout from the controversy, coupled with disappointing collection numbers, has left Jigra in a precarious position. While some hope remains for a turnaround, the film will need a significant push to draw audiences back to theaters and achieve respectable final earnings.
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The storyline of Jigra centers on Satya, played by Alia Bhatt, a fiercely protective sister determined to save her brother Ankur from a wrongful life sentence. Orphaned and living with a wealthy relative, the siblings struggle to feel a sense of belonging. When Ankur, a programmer, is accused of drug possession in Hanshi Dao, with a powerful figure ensuring his life sentence, Satya navigates the perilous prison system to save him from execution.
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