'Fukrey 3' opens strong at the box office, 'The Vaccine War' faces a slow start on day 1

On September 28th, 2023, the Indian box office witnessed a fascinating clash as two highly anticipated films, 'Fukrey 3' and 'The Vaccine War,' hit theaters on the same day. The battle for audience attention and box office supremacy unfolded, yielding intriguing results.

'Fukrey 3,' the latest installment in the successful comedy franchise, kicked off its theatrical run with a bang. Directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, the film boasts a stellar ensemble cast featuring Richa Chadha, Varun Sharma, Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh, and Pankaj Tripathi. This time, the Fukrey gang, consisting of Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Choocha (Varun Sharma), and Laali (Manjot Singh), reunites to thwart Bholi (Richa Chadha) from winning the elections in Delhi with her corrupt practices.

The movie's opening day collection soared to an impressive Rs 8.5 crore, as per early estimates reported by Sacnilk.com. What's even more noteworthy is that 'Fukrey 3' achieved this feat despite facing stiff competition from other releases. It managed to secure a 22.12 percent occupancy on Thursday, benefiting from the partial holiday in India due to Eid-e-Milad an-Nabi and Ganpati Visarjan.

The film's humorous escapades and the endearing camaraderie of its characters appear to have struck a chord with the audience, drawing them to the theaters in significant numbers. With such a promising start, 'Fukrey 3' is well on its way to making a mark at the box office.

ALSO READ: Review: 'Fukrey 3' touches new heights of fukrapanti owing to some jaw-aching hilariousness

In contrast, 'The Vaccine War,' a film directed by Vivek Agnihotri that delves into the development of the Covid-19 vaccine, encountered a slow start at the box office on its opening day. Despite receiving positive reviews and addressing a subject of immense global significance, the film could only muster Rs 1.3 crore, as per early estimates from Sacnilk.com.

It recorded a meager 10.17 percent occupancy in Hindi on Thursday. Despite its modest budget of around Rs 10 crore and a star-studded cast featuring Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Anupam Kher, Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Sapthami Gowda, and Mohan Kapur, the film struggled to gain a strong foothold.

While 'The Vaccine War' aims to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic and highlight the challenges faced during vaccine development, it faces an uphill battle in the competitive box office landscape.

ALSO READ: Review: 'The Vaccine War' is a brave attempt to show the valorous journey of NIV & ICMR in a cinematic manner