Amitabh Bachchan's latest movie Jhund, which hit the screens on March 4, has ended its first week on a decent note, collecting nearly Rs 11 crore net at the domestic box office. It collected Rs 1.50 crore on the first day, receiving positive reviews from critics. The healthy word of mouth helped the sports drama put up respectable numbers over the weekend and on weekdays,
Jhund, however, wasn't able to reach its potential outside Maharashtra as it faced stiff competition from the Hollywood biggie The Batman, which emerged as the top choice of the 'Gen Y' audience in urban areas due to the superhero genre's popularity in India. Mammootty's Bheeshma Parvam gave it a run for its money in Kerala, proving to be the choice of the masses. The fact that director Nagraj Manjule, who directed the cult Marathi film Sairat, isn't a known name in Hindi cinema worked against it.
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Jhund may not do as well as expected this week as it faces competition from the Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam and the critically-acclaimed The Kashmir Files. The perception is that it will end with a lifetime collection of nearly Rs 20 crore.
Jhund revolves around what happens when a retired professor, played by Big B, decides to put together a football team comprising youngsters from the underprivileged sections of society. It has socio-political undertones and a well-executed screenplay.
With Jhund in theatres, AB Sr is set to turn his attention to his upcoming projects. The star will be seen alongside Prabhas and Deepika Padukone in Mahanati director Nag Ashwin's latest magnum opus Project K. He will be seen essaying a key role in the Karan Johar-backed superhero saga Brahmastra, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Bachchan also has Runway 34, directed by Ajay Devgn, and Goodbye in his kitty. He was to make his Kollywood debut with Uyarndha Manithan but the film is on hold.