Stree box office collections: Success that's driven by fear

A still from Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se; (top) from Stree

The weekend gone by was expected to be a joyous one for cinephiles, given that two big-ticket comic capers were up for release. However, even the three Deols put together couldn't match the magic that Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor brought to the screen, with the latter's Stree notably outshining Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se (YPD).

Trade expert Amod Mehra says the Rao-starrer horror comedy, which earned R31.26 crore over three days of its release, has emerged as the surprise hit of the year. "The audience has appreciated the film, and the positive word of mouth has added to the collection. On the other hand, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se has been a washout. It [collections] is worse than its previous edition. Select multiplexes have even reduced the number of shows [being screened], while some shows have been cancelled."

Trade-smith Girish Wankhede believes director Amar Kaushik has been able to successfully navigate the tricky waters of the horror-comedy genre. "In the past, we have seen [several] films, including Nanu Ki Jaanu, in this genre. But, they failed to leave an impression. Stree has hit the bull's eye, thanks to its content and Rajkummar's performance."

Wankhede believes that the inability of the Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby starrer to impress viewers has resulted from the desperation to play to the gallery. "The film looked jaded. It lacks novelty, which is why it failed [at the box office]." While official figures were not revealed, YPD speculatively earned a mere R6 crore over the weekend.

Also Read: Shraddha Kapoor shares throwback picture from 'Stree' days

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