‘2.0’ sustains until ‘Zero’ as competition from new releases stiffens

New Delhi: With less than a week to go for Shah Rukh Khan’s romantic drama Zero to hit screens, it is up to Rajinikanth’s science fiction flick 2.0 to make the most of its time in theatres. The S.Shankar directed film is nearing the Rs. 200 crore mark with its Hindi version alone, which has made Rs. 176.25 crore at last count. According to latest reports by trade website Box Office India, all its languages put together, the film has made Rs. 379.50 crore in India.

“2.0 crosses the Rs. 175 crore mark. Has one more week to score before the biggies arrive,” tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Meanwhile, the film has maintained its hold over the Chennai box office, earning Rs. 22.37 crore, besides collecting $5,310,728 (Rs. 38.20 crore) in the US and Rs. 23.92 crore in the UAE.

The film, whose success in the Hindi belt is also being attributed to the presence of actor Akshay Kumar who plays the main antagonist, has faced competition from new offerings since its late November release.

Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan-starrer Kedarnath has collected about Rs. 48.25 crore in net domestic collections even though the film lost around Rs. 75 lakh due to the ban on its release in Uttarakhand. The film, however, has managed impressive numbers especially in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The other winner of the holiday season has been Hollywood superhero flick Aquaman directed by James Wan, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, the third live-action theatrical film featuring Aquaman, following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), and the first full-length feature film centered around the character.

The film that had collected Rs. 15.25 crore until Saturday, is looking at an estimated opening weekend business of Rs. 23 crore.

“Kedarnath showed strong trending on weekdays. North circuits performed very well,” Adarsh had tweeted. “Despite reduction in screen count and Aquaman cutting into the market share, Kedarnath continues to sprint on second Friday.”