Masti 4 Fails to Recreate Franchise Magic at the Box Office
The highly anticipated fourth installment of the popular 'Masti' franchise, aptly named 'Masti 4', has turned out to be a major box office disappointment. Despite the brand recognition of a series that began back in 2004 and the relative scarcity of adult comedies in the Indian film landscape, the film failed to connect with audiences, especially in mass markets where it was expected to perform well.
A Detailed Look at the Dismal Numbers
The film's financial performance tells a clear story of underachievement. 'Masti 4' opened to a modest Rs 2.75 crore on its first Friday. It showed no growth on Saturday, repeating the same collection. While Sunday saw a slight improvement, bringing in Rs 3 crore, the downfall began on Monday. Collections plummeted to a mere Rs 1.50 crore on day four. Tuesday saw a minor uptick to Rs 1.6 crore, but by Wednesday, the sixth day, earnings had fallen further to Rs 1.15 crore. This brings the total six-day India net collection for 'Masti 4' to a paltry Rs 12.85 crore.
Stiff Competition and Critical Reception
Compounding its troubles was the direct competition from Farhan Akhtar's '120 Bahadur'. Despite being considered a more niche, multiplex-oriented film, '120 Bahadur' has taken an edge, having collected Rs 14 crore in the same six-day period. Furthermore, 'De De Pyaar De 2', which is in its second week, is still pulling in similar daily numbers. The critical and audience reception for 'Masti 4' has been largely tepid, with many reviewers pointing out its lacklustre entertainment quotient, though a small section did express some appreciation for it. The film's performance is clearly below average when compared to its predecessors—'Masti', 'Grand Masti', and 'Great Grand Masti'.
The road ahead looks even more challenging for 'Masti 4' as a new major release, 'Tere Ishq Mein' starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, is set to hit theatres this Friday. This is expected to intensify the competition and further squeeze the screen space and collections of all existing films, sealing the fate of what has been a underwhelming run for the latest 'Masti' outing.
