Main Vaapas Aaunga and Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past are both dark comedies, but Vikram Bhatt’s film manages to outdo Imtiaz Ali and Diljit Dosanjh’s film in every way. Box Office Surprise: Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past beats Diljit Dosanjh and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga in all aspects.
Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past’ has emerged as the top gainer this week at the box office, beating ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, which was much anticipated by Iltijaat Ali and which stars Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari and Vedang Raina.
Despite the hype on its trail, Main Vaapas Aaunga, the film of a renowned director and popular cast, did not have the same resonance on the box office as the relatively low-budget horror movie did.
Despite being praised as a positive review, Main Vaapas Aaunga continues to struggle. Main Vaapas Aaunga continues to struggle despite being praised as a positive review.
Main Vaapas Aaunga is set against the backdrop of the Partition of 1947, and is an emotional tale of love, separation and the quest for one’s roots. The movie was well-received by critics and garnered positive buzz from audiences.
But the critics’ praise didn’t guarantee a huge box office haul.
The movie started off sluggishly on its first day but saw some good collection numbers over the weekend. The film saw almost a 74% jump in earnings on Sunday. However, its collection in 3 days reached around ₹5.5 crore within the domestic market, which was not in line with the expectations of the industry.
Haunted 3D proves itself the unexpected winner! The most unexpected event of the weekend has been Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past.
The horror film did not have to count on big star power or a long promotional run like Main Vaapas Aaunga. However, it had been able to grab the attention of the audience from the very beginning.
The film took a solid start at the box-office, followed by a remarkable 30% surge on its second day, and has also enjoyed a solid weekend performance. At the end of the first weekend of the new films, Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past was the biggest film of the week, earning the top spot in the new-release category.
Its performance once again highlights the rising popularity of horror movie and the fact that it’s so powerful and interesting that it can outlast star power.
Other releases follow in a similar fashion. It was also a weekend for the launch of Bharat Bhagya Vidhata by Kangana Ranaut and Manoj Bajpayee’s Governor: The Silent Saviour.
Both movies saw some uptick on the weekend, but again, neither could top the box-office numbers of Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, which continues to lead the pack.
Is there a shift in Audience preference? The film’s success at the box office has brought back the debate on changing trends in Indian cinema.
For many years, there has been a belief that ‘star’ films were the best to go on a bet. But recent developments indicate that viewers are becoming more and more interested in story telling and genre appeal than stardom.
The triumph of Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past further cements the notion that horror is still one of the most bankable genres of Bollywood, and even beloved, star-led dramas have lost some ground in theatres.
What Lies Ahead?
The lack of performance in the opening weekend of Main Vaapas Aaunga has been a dampening factor, but industry sources suggest that the movie might pick up if the positive word gets out in the next few weeks.
But for the moment the biggest surprise at the box office is the performance of Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, which has beaten several high-profile films to make itself the clear winner of the weekend.
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