Box office: Bell Bottom drops, Punjabi film Puaada does well even in second week

The Akshay Kumar-starrer Bell Bottom saw some growth on its first Sunday at the box office as it collected Rs4.50 crore nett, only to record a significant drop on its first Monday, making just Rs1.90 crore, according to BoxOfficeIndia.com.

Directed by Ranjit M Tewari and also featuring Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Huma Qureshi, Vaani Kapoor and Adil Hussain, the movie has earned a total of Rs14.90 crore in its first five days in theatres, barely 10% of the film's budget, which is said to be close to Rs150 crore, including Akshay Kumar's fees. 

The producers of Bell Bottom had taken a big risk by going ahead with the release even though theatres in Maharashtra, the biggest hub for Hindi cinema, continue to remain shut after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. But given the numbers the film has generated in other states, it does appear now that even if it had been released in Maharashtra, Bell Bottom would have struggled to recover its cost.

Meanwhile, the Punjabi family entertainer Puaada continued its good run even on its second Monday. Starring Ammy Virk and Sonam Bajwa, the movie made Rs27 lakh on the day. The film had collected a good Rs3.89 crore in the first week. Its grand total currently stands at Rs5.21 crore, an encouraging number considering that it has come mostly from one small state and the national capital, that too at a time when theatres are allowed only 50% occupancy.

On Friday 27 August, another much awaited Punjabi movie, Chal Mera Putt 2, will be released. This film is also expected to take a good opening.