Bollywood star Akshay Kumar's latest movie Bachchhan Paandey, which hit the screens on March 18, has ended its box office run on a disappointing note. The flick grossed nearly Rs 70 crore worldwide against a budget of Rs 182 crore, proving to be one of the biggest flops of the mass hero's career. The action-comedy raked in a decent Rs 13.25 crore (net) in India on the opening day despite facing competition from The Kashmir Files. It subsequently stayed flat over the first weekend, failing to hold its own against the Anupam Kher-fronted juggernaut. Bachchhan Paandey collapsed on the weekdays, leaving 'Akki' fans shocked.
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The film received mixed reviews with critics lauding Akshay's performance and the mass elements but criticising the shallow screenplay. The word of mouth was not as favourable as expected, which made it virtually impossible for it to stage a comeback once the initial hype died down.
Bachchhan Paandey is the third Akshay movie to hit the screens in Covid times. The star tried to revive the industry with Bellbottom but things didn't go as planned because the film wasn't released in Maharashtra. He, however, bounced back with Sooryavanshi -- Bollywood's first hit under the 'new normal'. Trade experts had had hopes from Bachchhan Paandey, which makes its lacklustre performance more disappointing.
The Farhad Samji-helmed flick is a remake of the Tamil cult film Jigarthanda and revolves around a 'Godfather' with a past. It is set in Uttar Pradesh and caters to a mass audience. The movie stars Kriti Sanon and Jacqueline Fernandez as the leading ladies. The cast includes Sanjay Mishra, Pankaj Tripathi, Prateik Babbar and Arshad Warsi.
Akshay, meanwhile, is awaiting the release of Yash Raj Films-backed Prithviraj. The period drama features him in the role of the legendary king Rai Pithora and has been directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Akshay also has Raksha Bandhan, Ram Setu, OMG 2 and Selfiee in his kitty.