Haunted 3D Creates Friday Buzz
Friday brought a major surprise for Bollywood as Mimoh Chakraborty’s horror flick Haunted 3D stormed the box office with Rs 2.75 crore on its opening day. Trade insiders were stunned, especially since the film didn’t get a single show in national multiplex chains like PVRInox and Cinepolis. Industry sources suggest that some behind-the-scenes politics kept the film out of these big screens. However, strong audience demand eventually forced the chains to bow down and add shows for Vikram Bhatt’s directorial.
What makes this victory even sweeter is that Haunted 3D collected this number from only single screens and smaller chains. The numbers speak for themselves about the pull of the horror genre when it clicks with the masses.
The Competition Fails to Scare
On the other side, Imtiaz Ali’s much-awaited Main Vaapas Aaunga starring Diljit Dosanjh managed a mere Rs 1.40 crore on Friday. Given its mammoth production cost, trade circles are already calling it a disaster. It’s surprising to see an Imtiaz Ali film with a superstar like Diljit open at half the value of a low-budget horror flick.
Kangana Ranaut’s Bharat Bhagya Vidhata and Manoj Bajpayee’s Governor also failed to create any magic, each starting around the Rs 1 crore mark. Both films are already being labelled as non-starters by exhibitors, who are now pinning their hopes on Haunted 3D and Hollywood releases like Obsession to keep the cash registers ringing.
What This Friday Means for Bollywood
This Friday’s box office story is a lesson in unpredictability. A horror film with no major star power and limited release has beaten films headlined by A-listers. Industry watchers are now debating whether audience taste is shifting or if it’s just the strength of the horror genre. Picture abhi baaki hai, but for now, Mimoh Chakraborty is the king of the weekend.