Ajay Devgn’s ‘Shaitaan’, set to open in theatres on March 8, has created a fair deal of buzz among fans with its intriguing trailer and top-notch cast. According to Akshaye Rathi, an exhibitor, these factors should help it secure a good start at the box office. However, its fate will eventually depend on the word-of-mouth response and the content itself.
“I have high expectations from Shaitaan. It is purely theatrical offering and has a top-notch cast headlined by Ajay Devgn. I think, the first day collection should at least be around Rs 10 crore. The only thing that can go against it is the content itself. If the content isn’t good, there could be a problem but I don’t think that will happen,” he told ‘The Daily Guardian’
Given the genre, the horror-thriller is unlikely to appeal to children. Rathi, however, feels this is not a major issue.
”Children won’t come for Shaitaan but then in India we have enough people who watch cinema. It will cater to the masses and the urban audience,” he said
‘Shaitaan’ features R Madhavan and Jyotika, who are popular names in Tamil cinema, in key roles. However, their association with the film is unlikely to help it in Tamil Nadu.
“See this a medium-budget Bollywood film with no dubbed version. I am not expecting anything great from it. The first day collection is expected to be around Rs 10 lakh in the best case. It will get some patronage in the urban areas,” trade analyst Ramesh Bala told The Daily Guardian.
‘Shaitaan’, directed by Vikas Behl, revolves around the battle between good and evil. The film is produced by Ajay Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, and Kumar Mangat. This will be the ‘Tanhaji’ actor’s first release after ‘Bholaa’, which was released in 2023. Post this, he will be seen in the sports drama ‘Maidaan’.
‘Shaitaan’ is set to hit screens on March 8.