According to Karan Taurani, a film trade expert from Elara Capital, “Rocky Aur Rani” embodies the quintessential Bollywood content that most audiences are familiar with, leaving little room for surprises. While there were initial expectations of crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark, it is now unlikely for the film’s overall lifetime collections to exceed Rs. 120-130 crore.
Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt’s movie ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani’ is inching closer to the Rs 100 crore mark in its first week, having already earned nearly 92 crores. However, industry expert Karan Taurani from Elara Capital predicts that the film’s success may not last long, and its overall lifetime collections are unlikely to exceed Rs. 120-130 crores.
Taurani emphasizes that ‘Rocky Aur Rani’ follows a very typical Bollywood formula, which most audiences have seen countless times, leaving little room for surprise. While the film was expected to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark, its lack of novelty is expected to limit its total earnings.
When comparing ‘Rocky Aur Rani’ to other big releases like ‘Pathaan,’ Taurani clarifies that they are entirely different films and ‘Rocky Aur Rani’ was never in the same league. Even in pre-Covid times, the film wouldn’t have been expected to surpass 250 crores, making the current figures unsurprising.
Taurani acknowledges that Hollywood films, especially the success of ‘Oppenheimer’ in India, have impacted ‘Rocky Aur Rani’s box office performance. He believes that audiences crave diverse content, and ‘Oppenheimer’ offered something different, unlike the typical Bollywood fare of ‘Rocky Aur Rani.’
He also mentions that ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which had already finished by the time ‘Rocky Aur Rani’ was released, had a significant impact on its collections.
Regarding the upcoming big-budget Indian films like ‘Gadar 2’ and ‘Jailer,’ Taurani agrees that they will undoubtedly affect ‘Rocky Aur Rani’s collections. He expects ‘Gadar 2’ and ‘Jailer’ to surpass the film’s earnings as they are highly anticipated by the audience. He believes that ‘Rocky Aur Rani’s success is temporary and will fade soon, with lifetime collections likely not exceeding 120-130 crores.
In terms of audience reception, Taurani considers the mixed reviews as expected, given the strong competition from other big releases like ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Gadar 2,’ and ‘Jailer.’ Despite this, the film has performed within expectations, and he anticipates its collections to reach a maximum of 120-130 crores.
As for the impact of OTT platforms, Taurani believes that while they have affected the film industry as a whole, OTT’s influence on ‘Rocky Aur Rani’ specifically is not significant.
In conclusion, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ presents all the elements of a classic Bollywood romance-masala film. However, its formulaic approach might relegate it to being a one-time watch, especially considering the strong competition from other major releases in the same period.
