Actor Rajkummr Rao's latest movie Roohi opened to a good response at the domestic box office on Thursday (March 11), collecting Rs 3.06 crore (net) on the opening day. The horror-comedy, the first major Hindi movie to hit the screens under the 'new normal', continued its run on Friday (March 12), raking in Rs 2.25 crore on its second day. The film's two-day collection stands at Rs 5.31 crore, a decent figure for a medium-budget movie.
The general feeling is that the film has exceeded expectations as it is perceived to be the 'crazier sister' of the 2018 release Stree even though it is not a sequel to the sleeper hit. Rajkummar and Varun Sharma's bromance also appears to have worked in its favour.
Also read: 'Roohi' movie review: Rajkummar Rao-starrer is a big disappointment
Roohi comes at a time when the Hindi film industry is limping back to normalcy after the Covid-19 lockdown. Relatively smaller films such as Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari and Indoo Ki Jawani hit the screens after the lockdown but failed to make an impact at the box office. The Hindi version of actor Vijay's Tamil movie Master too sank without a trace. Roohi might help Bollywood find its mojo if it is able to stay strong over the weekend.
The film has received mixed to negative reviews with most critics stating that the film's screenplay is not as good as expected. The climax also has evoked a mixed response. The word of mouth is not too positive which may spell trouble for Roohi in the coming days.
Rajkummar has carved a niche for himself in the industry with films such as Shahid and Trapped. His detractors, however, feel that he is not a bankable star. He proved his critics wrong with Stree but failed to deliver the goods with Made in China and Shimla Mirchi.
Roohi might help him cover lost ground if it emerges as a hit. He will soon be seen in the family drama Badhaai Do, co-starring Bhumi Pednekar.