Ranveer Singh's '83' hasn't impressed the box office yet. Can it recover?

Released on 24 December, 83 was meant to take the box office by storm. Just think about it. The film is about India’s world cup triumph in 1983 after upsetting the mighty West Indies in an unforgettable final. The cricket lovers now had a chance to watch Kapil Dev’s 175 against Zimbabwe, a match the BBC couldn’t telecast because of a strike that was going on then. Ranveer Singh, a big draw in Bollywood today, plays the role of Dev. By logic, it should have had a record opening, right? Not quite so far. 

On a budget of Rs 125 crore, the box office collection over the first three days – Friday through Sunday – stands at Rs 47.4 crore, around half of what it meant to rake. As the pandemic rears its head again, key Hindi film markets such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana have announced a night curfew and that means the traditional “night show” revenue is lost. That alone is estimated to bring in at least 20 per cent of the money each day.  

83 was meant to release early last year and like other films had to defer the date. Refusing to succumb to the overtures of OTT players, the producers (includes Reliance Entertainment, Deepika Padukone and Sajid Nadiadwala) believed it had the potential to strike paydirt at the box office. They chose to release it across 4,000 screens in the domestic market and another 1,500 overseas. Trade analyst Komal Nahta is of the view that awareness levels for 83 were not high since it had limited promotion. “Most importantly, the music of the film was not a talking point. Good music helps in bringing in the crowds quickly,” he says.  

The decision to go with 2D and 3D viewing has not really gone down well. For one, cricket is not easily linked to 3D, plus it also increases the cost of tickets. 83 was released just after 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and that made perfect sense for a 3D experience and also took the young audience away, making it a family viewing. That has had an impact on 83 since the period brings in a larger proportion of the audience only from those who relate to that cricketing success. Exhibitors remain confident and think these are still early days for the film. “83 has very strong box office legs and word of mouth is only getting stronger. After all, you are speaking of a spectacle film with an emotional hook, which gives you a long box office life,” thinks Tushar Dhingra, Founding CEO, Dhishoom Cinemas, a multiplex chain in north India. 

The film, with its theme of nostalgia, was meant to capture a large part of the audience. It was dubbed in the four south Indian languages to ensure it had a pan-India appeal. According to Taran Adarsh, film critic and trade analyst, the film has not worked in the smaller centres.  

“With a large budget, it must work across the country. Instead, we have Pushpa (a dubbed version of a recent Telugu film by the same name) working in the non-metros,” he says. The other challenge is the impending release of Jersey, a Shahid Kapoor-starrer on December 31, followed by the much-awaited RRR, a film directed by S S Rajamouli of Baahubali fame. “There is a limited window for 83 to make its money and so far, the start has not been great,” thinks Adarsh.  

Though nobody is willing to talk numbers, the best possible scenario for 83 in the domestic market seems to suggest Rs 120-130 crore with another Rs 30-40 crore from the overseas market. In contrast, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi had raked in Rs 180 crore in the domestic market. 

However, that could change with a sudden surge in footfalls over the next week. The producers surely must be praying really hard for that. 

Also Read: 83 box office collection Day 1: Ranveer Singh's film opens to positive audience response

Also Read: 83 box office collection Day 2: Ranveer Singh's film stays low; earns Rs 16 crore on Christmas