'Attack' day 1 box office collection: Was John Abraham-starrer able to put up good numbers despite 'RRR' storm?

John has 'Ek Villain Returns' and 'Pathaan' in his kitty

Actor John Abraham's latest movie Attack hit the screens on April 1 much to the delight of the action star's die-hard fans. The flick garnered a decent deal of attention prior to its release because of its intriguing premise, which revolves around the concept of a 'Super-soldier, and impressive production values. So did these factors help it put up good numbers on the opening day? Here's our detailed report

Day 1 collection

Attack opened to a fair response at the domestic box office despite facing competition from the S S Rajamouli-helmed RRR, which remains the choice of the mass audience in its second week. Its day 1 net collection is likely to be between Rs 3 crore and Rs 7 crore, according to initial estimates.

John's track record

John is going through a challenging phase on the front as his last three releases -- Pagalpanti, Mumbai Saga, and Satyameva Jayate 2 -- underperformed at the box office. The mediocre response to the Milap Zaveri-helmed flick, in particular, left fans shocked as it was a sequel to the 2018 hit Satyameva Jayate. Satyameva Jayate 2 collected Rs 3.60 crore on its first day and eventually failed to hold its own against Salman Khan's Antim.

Deep Dive

Attack did decent business in key urban markets such as Mumbai and the National Capital Region (NCR). It, however, didn't make the desired impact in the smaller cities. The general feeling is that the decision to release the film merely a week after RRR went against it. The period drama has emerged as a force to reckon with in Hindi as it features Ajay Devgn in a key role. Its prospects were also affected by the fact that it has been directed by Lakshaya Anand, a rank newcomer.

The way ahead...

Attack received mixed reviews with critics praising the concept and John's performance but criticising the middling screenplay. The word of mouth is mixed, which may affect its performance in the coming days. It is also likely to face competition from the Hollywood biggie Morbius, which is based on a popular Marvel character.

What's next for John?

With Attack in theatres, John is set to turn his attention to Ek Villain Returns, a 'spiritual sequel' to the 2014 sleeper hit Ek Villain. The action-thriller has an impressive cast that includes Disha Patani, Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria. John will be seen as the antagonist in Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, slated to hit the screens next January.