Roohi box office collection day 1: Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao is said to have earned over Rs 3 crore on the first day of release, as per the makers. The horror comedy is the first major release after theatres reopened.
The reviews for Janhvi Kapoor Roohi have been far from positive, but the film has opened to decent numbers. The Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma starrer was one of the first major releases in cinemas after the coronavirus-led lockdown ended. Roohi’s box office collection on day one stands at Rs 3.06 crore nett (India), as per the makers.
It’s been a year since cinegoers enjoyed a full-on entertainer on the 70mm screen, and given Roohi’s genre, it was touted to be a crowd puller. The foot-tapping music of the Hardik Mehta directorial has also helped create quite a buzz among fans.
Producer Priyanka Chaudhary, CFO, Jio Studios, said in a statement, “We have always backed content driven films and Roohi with a 2200+ screen release was just perfect to bring back the magic of cinemas. We are so delighted that audiences all over India are responding with so much love and positivity. This is a big milestone for the film industry and Jio Studios is proud to be a change-maker”.
Satisfied with the film’s wide appeal and multiplex finding a ground once again, Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Limited in a statement said, “Roohi has boosted the confidence of the exhibition industry and also reposed the faith of audiences to provide them wholesome entertainment in the safe and secure environment of cinemas. Roohi is receiving good feedback from movie patrons across geographic locations and it is encouraging to see such excellent footfalls.”
Saurabh Verma from Inox added that the response of Roohi is better than even what they had expected. “We can only hear laughter in our auditoriums. It is the perfect post-pandemic stress relief film,” he added.
Echoing a similar thought, film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi mentioned, “A 3 crore plus start is as good as a 9-10 crore start in a regular environment. Considering the current scenario, the footfalls are very encouraging. We have seen a 200% jump from the morning to evening shows. Since the reopening of theatres, Roohi is possibly the first Hindi film that is drawing people to cinemas in large numbers”.
The reviews for Roohi have not been heartening. Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta while reviewing the film, wrote that the film misses a coherent plot and writing. “All we get is one cringe-inducing sequence after the next (‘jhaad-phoonk’, exorcism, women in chains), where we are treated to problematic lines: when, when will mainstream movies stop terming wives ‘chudails’? No, it never was funny; the usage now just arouses fury. Just tossing in one line as a disclaimer that the film doesn’t encourage superstition, is not a buy-out. Neither is the reliable Rao’s presence, usually a guarantee of quality. Sharma’s brand of dialogue delivery already feels jaded. Kapoor tries gamely, but never gets a break-out right till the end.”
