Alia Bhatt’s much-awaited action thriller Alpha has made a modest start at the box office. The film, which is the latest addition to Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe, earned Rs 9 crore net in India on its opening day, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
While the film managed to outperform Alia Bhatt’s previous release Jigra, it recorded the lowest opening day collection among all films in the YRF Spy Universe.
Alpha Day 1 Box Office Collection
According to early estimates by Sacnilk, Alpha collected Rs 9 crore net across India on Friday.
Internationally, the film added around Rs 5 crore, taking its worldwide Day 1 collection to approximately Rs 15.80 crore.
Although the numbers are decent for a regular release, they fall well short of the blockbuster openings usually associated with the YRF Spy Universe.
Occupancy Improves During Night Shows
The film witnessed an overall 20.40% theatre occupancy on its opening day.
The occupancy throughout the day was as follows:
- Morning shows: 9.92%
- Afternoon shows: 17.85%
- Evening shows: 19.69%
- Night shows: 34.15%
The highest footfall came during the night shows, suggesting that audience interest improved as the day progressed.
Alpha Performs Better Than Jigra
Despite the slow start, Alpha has comfortably beaten the opening-day collection of Alia Bhatt’s last theatrical release, Jigra.
Directed by Vasan Bala, Jigra earned Rs 4.55 crore net on its first day in India.
However, the film struggled throughout its theatrical run and finished with a lifetime collection of around Rs 56.93 crore, despite being made on a reported budget of over Rs 80 crore.
As a result, it was considered a commercial disappointment.
Tough Competition at the Box Office
Alpha is also facing competition from other major releases currently running in theatres.
Akshay Kumar’s Welcome To The Jungle and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapis Aaunga are attracting audiences, making the box office race more competitive.
Therefore, the film’s performance over the weekend will play a crucial role in determining its long-term success.
Weakest Opening in the YRF Spy Universe
Although Alpha is an important addition to the YRF Spy Universe, it has recorded the franchise’s weakest opening so far.
Earlier films such as Pathaan, War, War 2, and the Tiger franchise all enjoyed significantly bigger opening-day collections. Most of those films also benefited from holiday releases and massive pre-release buzz.
In comparison, Alpha has started on a much smaller note.
About Alpha
Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha is the seventh film in the YRF Spy Universe.
It also marks the first female-led spy thriller in the franchise.
Apart from Alia Bhatt, the film stars Sharvari, Bobby Deol, and Anil Kapoor in key roles.
The movie blends action, espionage, and drama while expanding the interconnected YRF Spy Universe.
Whether Alpha can gain momentum over the weekend will now depend largely on positive word of mouth and audience response.