Box office: Shah Rukh Khan's Zero earns close to Rs20 crore on opening day

Director Aanand L Rai’s Zero holds a lot of importance for the film’s lead actor Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar hasn’t given a hit since long. After the debacle of his last film, Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), which was directed by Imtiaz Ali, a lot rests on the shoulders of Zero. 

The film opened with Rs19.35 crore in India, which is lower than what one expects from a film starring one of the three Khans (Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman) even on a non-holiday. 

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The number might still sound decent. But the problem here is that, as per trade sources, the budget of the film is as high as Rs200 crore. With this cost of production, it is vital for the film to earn a big number in the first weekend. 

Needless to say, the film needs a big jump in its collections for today and tomorrow. This doesn’t look easy because the reviews and word-of-mouth have been negative so far.

Another hurdle for the film, which also stars Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif, is that it has only one clear week at the box office as next Friday (28 December) will see the release of Rohit Shetty’s Simmba. The buzz for the Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan starrer is positive and the film is expected to open with a big number.