Marking the debut of Bollywood’s two-star kids Rasha Thandani and Aaman Devgn, ‘Azaad’ made it to the theatres on Friday. The movie also features Ajay Devgn in a pivotal role, but even with his star power, the film failed to have a decent opening at the box office.
According to the Sacnilk report, Abhishek Kapoor’s directorial fell below Rs. 2 crores and minted only Rs.1.5 crore on its first day.
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The morning shows had a meager 5% occupancy and the evening shows performed slightly better with a 26% occupancy rate.
It is also worth noting that it isn’t the first time that Abhishek has introduced newcomers to the industry. He did the same with Sushant Singh Rajput (‘Kai Po Che’) and Sara Ali Khan (‘Kedarnath’). While Kai Po Che and Kedarnath both went on to become hits, Azaad seems struggling to find its footing.
In comparison, ‘Kai Po Che,’ which debuted in 2013, earned Rs 4.5 crore on its opening day and eventually raked in around Rs 50 crore throughout its domestic run. Five years later, ‘Kedarnath’ saw an opening day collection of Rs 6.8 crore and went on to gross approximately Rs 66 crore in India.
Abhishek Kapoor’s previous directorial venture, ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui,’ featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, also saw disappointing results, making Rs 28 crore after a Rs 3.5 crore opening day. Following Azaad’s lackluster debut, this film has recorded the lowest opening in his career.
The film faced competition from Kangana Ranaut’s long-awaited political drama ‘Emergency, which performed slightly better, collecting Rs 2.35 crore on its first day.
Coming to the review of the movie, ETimes shares – “‘Azaad’ is a film mounted on a grand scale that performs well in most departments. The plot keeps you engaged, with the horse, central to the story, guaranteed to win your heart. However, the burden of carrying the film by two newcomers becomes a bit much, and this reflects in the execution. Set in British India, the plot revolves around Govind (Aaman Devgan), a stable hand working for Rai Bahadur (Piyush Mishra), a local Zamindar aligned with the British. Govind becomes enchanted by Azaad, a formidable stallion owned by Vikram Singh (Ajay Devgn), a rebel opposing British rule. After Vikram’s death, Govind inherits the responsibility of caring for Azaad. As Govind integrates the stallion into his life, tensions escalate when Rai Bahadur’s men demand the horse’s surrender, leading to a climactic horse-riding challenge at the Ardh Kumbh fair.”
