With the Modi biopic stalled, DC's Shazam maintains momentum in India, gets more time

Someone’s loss is another’s gain. And this stands true for the newly released DC film Shazam that is holding strong at the Indian box office.

And looks like it will stay stable given that there is no other notable offering next week after the Election Commission (EC)stalled the release of the biopic based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi , which was set to release on April 12.

The Warner Bros Pictures project that released in India on April 5 has gathered a total of Rs 16.60 crore in seven days of its release. It opened at Rs 3 crore, which is lower than last DC Extended Universe (DCEU) release Aquaman that proved a game changer for DC films in India.

The Jason Momoa (of Game of Thrones fame)-starrer earned strong numbers on day one with collections to the tune of Rs 7.75 crore (including Thursday evening’s paid previews).

Other films from the DCEU like Wonder Woman or Justice League, which brought all the DC comic superheroes on the big screen, minted Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 5.6 crore respectively on day one.

While Shazam is nowhere close to Aquaman's opening, which earned Rs 25 crore in the first three days, the Zachary Levi-starrer has some more time to get more shows, with Kesari and Romeo Akbar Walter losing steam at the box office and Vidyut Jammwal’s Junglee all set to fold up.

The superhero flick could have faced some competition from the Narendra Modi biopic however, the film will not see the light of day anytime soon due to the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections, whose first phase ended on April 11.

Also read: Election Commission bans PM Modi biopic during election period

While the producers of the film are hoping to get a release date as huge investments are at stake, there remains no clarity on when the film will hit theatres.

Although Shazam has not made any record-breaking business in India, its decent performance is a signal that the DCEU fans are not as disappointed as they were for Justice League.

DC is not following the Marvel model of interconnected films and is coming up with more unconnected projects. Some films in the pipeline are The Flash, Suicide Squad 2, Gotham City Sirens, a Joker & Harley Quinn movie, Batgirl, New Gods, Man of Steel 2 among others.

While Hindi films in India may not be giving a tough competition to the Hollywood offering Shazam, the scenario is different in China. It is Ayushmann Khurrana’s Andhadhun that is ahead of Shazam which ranks third at the Chinese box office.

Bollywood having an edge over Hollywood in China is something the Indian film industry should take note of as Afterall, China is world’s second largest film market.