Bollywood weekly wrap: Alia Bhatt steals the show with 'Raazi'

Tasmayee Laha RoyMoneycontrol Desk

While people often question her intelligence and repeatedly poke fun at her for not knowing the president of India, Alia Bhatt's acting skills is something not many can challenge. With Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi the 25-year-old actor has proved her worth at the box office. The film has raked in Rs 7.53 crore after opening and is expected to do better in the coming weeks.

The film is being praised by the industry overall, and film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who gave the film four stars, has gone on to state that the movie is "terrific".

"A meritorious story that deserves to be told. Brilliantly narrated by Meghna Gulzar. Alia you’re a powerhouse of talent. Raazi  unlocks your true potential as an actor," Adarsh tweeted.

Although Saturday numbers are yet to come in according to Boxofficeindia, Raazi seems to be a hit considering its reviews.

“The business on Saturday will be in the Rs 10.50-Rs 11 crore range which will take the total of the film to approximately Rs 18 crore or slightly over it. This practically assures the film of a Rs 30 odd crore weekend which is a very good total for this film,” said Boxofficeindia in its initial analysis.

Raazi has also emerged as the fourth highest opener in the last couple of years, for films with female leads. Other films in the list include Padmaavat and the Tanu weds Manu franchisee.

Older releases, including 102 Not Out earned Rs 28.75 crore in its first week since release and analysts say the film can overall collect close to Rs 50 crore, which is not a bad number given its non-mainstream content.

As far as Hollywood is concerned, there’s no stopping for Avengers - Infinity War. It is heading towards Rs 225 crore-mark as earned Rs 2.25 crore (approximately) on its third Friday.

In the past fortnight, the box office is buzzing thanks to movie goers, who are loving recent releases.