Barfi! gets a sweet deal at BO

Anurag Basu’s Barfi! has found universal acceptance with the audience, if the weekend collections are anything to go by. The Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz love story bagged approximately Rs 34.6 cr...

Anurag Basu’s Barfi! has found universal acceptance with the audience, if the weekend collections are anything to go by. The Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz love story bagged approximately Rs 34.6 cr in its opening weekend (Friday: Rs 9.20 cr, Saturday: Rs 11.50 cr, Sun: Rs 13.9 cr).

As a result, the film, produced by UTV Motion Pictures for a budget of around Rs 30 cr, has recovered the cost in the opening week. Trade experts estimate that it will go strong in the next week as well.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra says, “It has been appreciated by critics and the audience. It had a limited release, opening only in 750 screens. It’s running on a 80 to 85 per cent capacity.” Komal Nahta shares the same sentiment on the prospect of the film in the second week: “It has an excellent buzz. It has started off well in the first week.” However, next week’s big release, Heroine, might pose a challenge. “Competition will get tough then,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Ashish Saxena, COO, Big Cinemas, however, is confident that Barfi! will have manage. “I don’t think Heroine will affect it, because normally, two big films run simultaneously. They will complement each other,” says Ashish.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, managing director, studios, Disney UTV is overwhelmed by the response. “These are moments that filmmakers, artistes and producers live for. The appreciation that is being showered on the film in India and around the world is unprecedented. It’s a huge moment for Anurag Basu and the crew. This is a film we have supported and nurtured from the beginning,” says Siddharth.