Farhan Akhtar's highly anticipated war drama 120 Bahadur has recorded a disappointing start at the domestic box office, collecting approximately ₹2.35 crore on its opening day of November 21, according to early trade estimates from Sacnilk.
Disappointing Opening Day Performance
Despite receiving a wide theatrical release across India, the big-scale war film struggled to attract audiences on Friday. The film's occupancy rates averaged around 5% nationwide, leading to multiple show cancellations in several regions due to extremely low footfall. Industry trackers confirmed that the poor response forced theater owners to cancel screenings in select markets.
Making the situation more challenging, 120 Bahadur found itself in a direct box office clash with the adult comedy Masti 4, which managed to open slightly ahead with ₹2.50 crore despite having limited pre-release buzz and marketing compared to the war drama.
Competitive Landscape and Context
The soft opening becomes particularly notable considering the film's substantial promotional campaign and its unique distinction as the first movie to premiere across defense theaters nationwide. This special gesture was intended to honor the armed forces, but the hype failed to translate into significant opening-day traction.
Hindi exhibitors have pointed to another factor affecting the new releases' performance - the spillover effect from existing films. Ajay Devgn's De De Pyaar De 2, now in its eighth day, earned ₹2.25 crore on the same day, nearly matching the collections of both new releases and indicating strong competition for audience attention.
Weekend Outlook and Critical Reception
With mixed but gradually improving word-of-mouth, trade analysts believe that Saturday and Sunday growth will be crucial for the film's survival. If momentum picks up significantly over the weekend, the film could potentially target an opening weekend in the ₹8-10 crore range. However, most trade experts argue that achieving such a jump might be difficult given the muted start and ongoing competition for screens.
Online reactions and early reviews have praised several aspects of the film, including:
- The impressive scale and visual treatment
- Realistic combat choreography
- Powerful background score
- Farhan Akhtar's restrained portrayal of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati
- Raashii Khanna's impactful brief role
Trade analyst Nishit Shaw rated the film 3.5 stars, describing it as a "powerful, technically sharp tribute" to the Indian Army. The film's technical excellence and emotional depth have been widely appreciated by those who have seen it.
Looking ahead, industry observers warn that a prolonged slowdown could result in reduced show counts for both 120 Bahadur and Masti 4 starting next week, as theater owners typically reallocate screens based on performance.
About 120 Bahadur
Directed by Razneesh 'Razy' Ghai, 120 Bahadur recounts the extraordinary heroism of 120 Indian soldiers during the Battle of Rezang La in 1962. The film features legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan as narrator and includes an ensemble cast comprising Vivan Bhatena, Ankit Siwach, Dhanveer Singh, Sahib Verma, Sparsh Walia, Ajinkya Deo and Eijaz Khan.
The musical score has been composed by Amit Trivedi with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. The project is jointly produced by Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Amit Chandra under their production banners.
