Raw, the Hindi version of Vijay's Tamil movie Beast, has failed to make an impact at the box office. The film collected merely Rs 50 lakh on the opening day, failing to create a buzz among fans. It witnessed a huge drop on April 14, netting a negligible Rs 15 lakh as it wasn't able to hold its own against the Yash-starrer KGF Chapter 2. So, was Raw able to redeem itself on its first Friday? Here is the full report.
A washout
Raw found virtually no takers in the Hindi belt on its third day as KGF 2 proved to be the undisputed choice of the masses. Its collection is likely to be around Rs 10 lakh, according to initial estimates. If this is indeed the case, it will fail to cross the Rs 1 crore-mark in three days.
Heart of the matter
The lacklustre response to Raw isn't too surprising as it wasn't promoted properly. Moreover, unlike Prabhas and Allu Arjun, Vijay does not really have a market in the North Indian states. Pooja Hegde, who plays the leading lady opposite 'Thalapathy', isn't perceived to be an A-lister in the Hindi belt. It was, however, the clash with KGF Chapter 2 that proved to be its undoing as the first part of the franchise did well at the box office when it hit the screens in 2018.
Not a first
Raw isn't the first Vijay movie to sink without a trace in Hindi. He tried to conquer this market with Puli but things didn't go as planned. He returned with Master, which proved to be a 'disaster'. Raw with its quirky story and 'massy' action sequences had the potential to be a gamechanger for Vijay but it'll end up being a missed opportunity.
About Raw
Raw, which marks Vijay's first collaboration with Nelson, is an action-thriller that revolves around what happens when a 'soldier' finds himself in the middle of an attack on a mall. It received mixed reviews with critics praising the performances but hitting out at the middling screenplay.The cast includes Yogi Babu, Shine and director Selvaraghavan.
What's next for Vijay?
With Raw in theatres, Vijay is set to turn his attention to Thalapathy 66. The Telugu-Tamil bilingual will be directed by Vamshi Paidipally and mark the mass hero's Tollywood debut. The film stars Rashmika Mandanna, who rose to fame in Telugu cinema with films such as Chalo and Geetha Govindam, as the female protagonist.