Sanjay Gupta reacts as The Conjuring Last Rites beats Baaghi 4 in India: ‘Our best action stars are sitting at home’

The Conjuring Last Rites had a better opening in theatres in India than Baaghi 4. Here's what filmmaker Sanjay Gupta had to say about the numbers.

Updated on: Sep 6, 2025, 17:57:19 IST

By Santanu Das

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On Friday, both Baaghi 4 and The Conjuring: Last Rites were released in theatres in India. The Hollywood film outperformed the Bollywood release. This difference has caught the attention of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who took to his X account on Saturday to express his disappointment. (Also read: Baaghi 4 worldwide box office collection day 1: Tiger Shroff film opens at just ₹17 crore, far less than Baaghi 3)

Sanjay Gupta is concerned with the state of box office numbers in India.

What Sanjay said

In a post on X, Sanjay said, “Me in my 20’s/30’s could never imagine an English film outperforming a Hindi film. Today’s reality - An English horror film does double the business of a main stream Hindi action film. What changed???”

In a separate post, he had said, “Such a steady flow of action films from the west. Almost feels like it is synchronised. And some of our best action stars are sitting at home clutching unrealistic numbers. Audience, makers, stars - Everyone loses in this scenario.”

‘Why even make films?’

Sanjay also noted the one ticket free per purchase scheme for big releases in India. The same scheme was used by the makers of Baaghi 4, as the film was promoted with a "Buy One Get One Free" or 50% off offer on opening day tickets, available on ticketing platforms. Sanjay noted, “Big Budget. Big Producer. Big Star. First Friday. One Plus One Free. What times are we living in? Why even make films?”

Baaghi 4, starring Tiger Shroff in the lead, collected ₹ 12 crore on its opening day of release. Baaghi 4 is directed by A Harsha and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

Meanwhile, The Conjuring Last Rites, the final film in the iconic horror franchise, collected ₹ 17.5 crore on its first day of release. It stars Patrik Wilson and Vera Farmiga in lead roles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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