Simran weekend box office: Kangana Ranaut film trumps Lucknow Central, but is that enough?

Simran box office collection: In three days since release, Kangana Ranaut film has earned Rs 10.65 crore and raced ahead of Farhan Akhtar’s Lucknow Central. But can it sustain the numbers during weekdays?

Kangana Ranaut and her controversies occupied the mind space for weeks before the release of Simran. Now that Simran is out, the only question everyone seems to be asking is can the film also occupy the mind space in the same way? The answer, it seems, is not really.

Can Simran sustain the numbers during weekdays?

The film made a lukewarm opening at the box office on Friday with Rs 2.77 crore earning. Amid mixed reviews, the film improved slightly and earned a respectable total of Rs 10.65 crore in three days. However, made at an approximate budget of Rs 30 crore, the Hansal Mehta film still has a long way to go before it posts a profit.

However, the Kangana Ranaut film has definitely outrun the other release of the week, Farhan Akhtar’s ensemble prison break drama Lucknow Central. The film has managed to earn Rs 8.42 crore over the weekend.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote, “#Simran needs to maintain on weekdays for a respectable total... Fri 2.77 cr, Sat 3.76 cr, Sun 4.12 cr. Total: ₹ 10.65 cr. India biz. #LucknowCentral is now dependent on weekdays biz for a decent total... Fri 2.04 cr, Sat 2.82 cr, Sun 3.56 cr. Total: ₹ 8.42 cr. India biz.”

Directed by Hansal Mehta, Simran failed to win over critics but Kangana’s stellar performance was appreciated. Simran is the story of a Gujarati immigrant in the US who wants a lot from life and commits crimes in pursuit of happiness. Made at an estimated budget of Rs 30 crore, Simran was released across approximately 1200 screens in India.

Given the kind of promotion and storyline (one that focusses on and glorifies the heroine), Simran could have been a step ahead of Queen (2014) for Kangana. However, the film failed to impress both critics and the audience. Kangana’s previous release, Rangoon, too proved to be a box office dud. It will be real bad news for the Queen star if Simran does not pick up over the week.

Lucknow Central, on the other hand, is the story of a group of jail inmates who want to form a music band. Directed by Ranjit Tiwari, it stars Farhan, Deepak Dobriyal, Diana Penty and Gippy Grewal.

Follow @htshowbiz for more