While a clash and contest between Ajay Devgan’s ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ and Deepika Padukone’s ‘Chhapaak‘ was not being discussed, the same became a national talking point after Padukone pulled a gravely miscalculated PR stunt at the JNU campus, by showing solidarity with the Left-leaning students of the institution.
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior opened at Rs 15.10 crore at the box office on Friday, and made Rs 20.57 crore the next day. The film earned Rs 26.08 crore on Sunday, thus crossing the 50-crore mark in just three days of its release. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior stands at a collection of Rs 61.75 crore as of now. As such, Tanhaji has effortlessly trumped all other releases of the weekend and has emerged as an indisputable champion at the Box Office, despite many critics having raised concerns that Chhapaak would be stealing its thunder.
#Tanhaji has a heroic weekend… Footfalls, occupancy, numbers multiply on Day 2 and 3… Sets BO on 🔥🔥🔥 on Day 3… #Maharashtra is exceptional… Other circuits witness big turnaround on Day 2 and 3… Fri 15.10 cr, Sat 20.57 cr, Sun 26.08 cr. Total: ₹ 61.75 cr. #India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 13, 2020
Chhapaak meanwhile was not wholeheartedly welcomed by the common film enthusiasts of the country, with it seeing fair collection only in metro cities. On Day 1, the film earned just Rs 4.77 crore and made Rs 6.90 crore on its second day. Chhapaak earned Rs 7.35 crore on Sunday, thus taking the total collection of the film to Rs 19.02 crore till now. Estimations suggest that Chhapaak might just barely be able to recover its budget, which was approximately 60 crores. Meanwhile, Tanhaji is all set to cross the 100 crore mark comfortably.
It would not be an overestimation to suggest that Deepika Padukone’s act of landing at the JNU campus has backfired in ways the actor couldn’t have imagined. Many people, who were disheartened by Deepika’s one-sided show of solidarity had called for a mass boycott of her film. Going by the collections till now, it seems that her film has indeed not been welcomed by the common citizens.
On the other hand, Tanhaji has been a talking point for all ever since its trailer was released. Directed by Om Raut, ‘Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior’ is a biopic on the trusted general of Maratha braveheart and Emperor of the Maratha Empire- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who changed the face of Indian history as he reclaimed the Kondhana fort after a fierce battle with the Mughals, led by the guardian of the fort Uday Bhan Rathod, whose role is played by Saif Ali Khan in the film.
In recent years, nationalistic films which bring to life untold and suppressed stories of great warriors of Bharatvarsha have found immense support from the people of India. That being said, Chhapaak was an important film as well, which deserved much better. A film which portrays the brutalities inflicted upon acid attack victims and their struggle to live a life normally deserved more audiences, however, Deepika Padukone’s decision to indulge in cheap publicity and PR stunts have overshadowed the same.
