Notwithstanding praise for her 'Katti Batti' act, Kangana Ranaut's dream run at the box-office suffered a blow with her latest outing collecting only Rs 16 crore in its opening weekend. Although the Nikhil Advani film starring Imran Khan with Kangs released on just 1200 screens, the not-too-flattering reviews and poor word of mouth buzz made a dent in its business.
"The first day business picked up only during the evening and night shows, but it wasn't enough. The jump in figures was clearly missing during the weekend," says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
Trade pundits had anticipated that Kangana's presence in 'Katti Batti' would ensure a good opening for the film, but it failed to take off (Rs 5.28 crore). "The collections hardly picked up on Saturday and Sunday. It seems unlikely that the numbers will go up now. 'Meeruthiya Gangsters', which also released last week, also failed miserably."
The sequel to 'MSG: Messenger of God' starring a self-styled godman also tanked at the box office.
BO stats
Rs 16.27crore
'Katti Batti' (opening weekend)
Rs 11.23crore
'Hero' (week two; overall - Rs 32.43 crore)
Rs 9.10crore
'Welcome Back' (week three; overall - Rs 94.87 crore)