'Fighter' day 1 box office prediction: Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone's film to make Rs 30 cr; cash in on Republic Day holiday

'Fighter' box office prediction day 1: Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer aerial action drama Fighter is all set to hit theatres ahead of Republic Day 2024. The film is estimated to open at roughly $1 million overseas and at around Rs 30 crore in terms of gross collections in India according to the pre-sales trends, film trade analyst Nishit Shaw said on X (formerly Twitter). 

He also said that Fighter is, however, likely to open below Rs 40 crore in terms of gross worldwide box office collections "unless walkups are crazy". Shaw added that positive word of mouth is crucial for growth on day 2 and raking in great business on the weekend. 

"Rough prediction. Fighter overseas shall try opening close to $1 M. India could do around Rs 27 crore to Rs 30 crore gross. Very optimistic numbers for both because Friday is holiday. However, opening day worldwide gross will remain below Rs 40 crore unless walkups are crazy," Shaw said in his post on X. 

If the film is met with strong word of mouth, then it could make anywhere between Rs 90-110 crore in terms of net box office collections on the four-day weekend, according to film critic and trade analyst Sumit Kadel. 

Fighter advance booking for day 1

Meanwhile, the aerial action film, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles, has logged decent advance bookings for its day 1. Fighter sold a total of over 2.79 lakh tickets across 15,469 shows worth around Rs 8.40 crore in India, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. 

The film's Hindi 2D and 3D versions sold a total of 1,25,868 tickets and 1,38,503 tickets respectively. Fighter's IMAX 2D and 3D shows sold 302 tickets and 10,119 tickets whereas its 4DX 3D and ICE 3D shows sold a total of 3,793 tickets and 782 tickets respectively. 

Regions that contributed significantly to Fighter's advance bookings for day 1 are Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 

At the overseas box office, the film reportedly made around $500,000 in advance bookings, which is considered average considering it had already earned an estimated $100,000 last Thursday.

The weak overseas advance bookings can be attributed to the film's ban in the Gulf countries, which usually contribute significantly to worldwide box office numbers. Fighter's 'suspension' in the UAE was announced on Thursday, with booking options being removed from major theatre chains.

While the exact reason for the ban is not known, it is believed to be due to "some objectionable content in the film". Deepika's previous film Pathaan made an impressive $15 million in the UAE, while Hrithik's WAR made over $5 million from Gulf markets.

Fighter story, cast

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film focuses on Shamsher Pathania or Patty who fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot and how he rises above his own limitations to become a true hero.

Fighter features Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor in lead roles. Fighter marks the first collaboration between Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. It also features Karan Singh Grover, Ashutosh Rana, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Talat Aziz, Akshay Oberoi and Rishabh Sawhney in significant roles. 

Also Read: 'Fighter' advance booking: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone-starrer sells 1.63 lakh tickets worth Rs 5.17 crore

Also Read: 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' teaser Twitter review: First glimpse of Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff-starrer divides moviegoers