'Chehre' day 1 box office collection: Amitabh Bachchan-starrer fails to make an impact

The film has been directed by Rumi Jafry

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan's latest movie Chehre, which hit the screens on Friday (August 27), has opened to a lukewarm response at the box office. According to trade trackers, the opening day collection is around Rs 40 lakh. The consensus is that the film was not able to reach its potential as it didn't release in Maharashtra, the biggest market for Hindi films in the country. Moreover, cinemas are allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity in several states.

This was the second Hindi film to hit the screens after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Akshay Kumar's Bellbottom released in theatres last week, collecting nearly Rs 2.50 crore on the opening day. The film witnessed some growth over its first weekend and collected around Rs 12 crore in four days.

It outperformed Chehre on Friday, raking around Rs 75 lakh at the box office. Its nine-day collection stands at Rs 19 crore. The general perception is that it might surpass Roohi to become the year's highest grosser if it stays stable in the coming days.

Chehre has been directed by Rumi Jafry, the writer of films such as Varun Dhawan's Coolie No 1 and Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, and is the first thriller of his career,

The movie features Big B in the role of an aged lawyer with his brand of justice and marks his first collaboration with Emraan Hashmi, who essays the role of a tycoon. It stars Krystle D'Souza, best known for her work on the TV show Belan Wali Bahu, as the leading lady and marks her Bollywood debut. She recently told DH that she was extremely happy to work with Big B in her first Hindi film.

Chehre has received decent reviews from most critics, which indicates that the word of mouth is above average. This should help it witness some growth over the weekend. The movie will, however, face competition from Bellbottom.