Last week we talked about how ‘5 August’ was a golden opportunity for legends like Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan. But, there was another film, another production house which missed this train because of the calculations done by them. Yes, you already know from the title that we are talking about Alia Bhatt’s Darlings, or should we say Shah Rukh Khan’s Darlings as Red Chillies Entertainment is the lead production house behind the film?
The film is witnessing a direct streaming release on Netflix and it opened to major reviews on the positive side. In our review, we said, “Dear Bollywood is getting as close to Andhadhun as it can be (Aaj Tak). The ‘comedy in tragedy’ treatment gives it a soul as Alia Bhatt becomes the heart of the film.”
After watching the film, one question that will surely haunt many is “Why didn’t it have a theatrical release?” When films like Jhund can be seen as a theatrical release film, why didn’t Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment go ahead to have it for cinema halls as well?
In the past too, we have seen films like Andhadhun surprising everyone with a resounding success at the box office, most of Ayushmann Khurrana’s films for that matter have done the same. Darlings, amidst all the controversy surrounding #BoycottAliaBhatt and the fact that it might have been an entertaining film for many, would have certainly attracted a decent number of viewers.
Despite domestic abuse being exposed as one of the most bizarre ways in the film, it is the nature of the film that is entertaining and that is what the multiplex audience would have loved. This is when you could have a whole week for yourself, not even any of Laal Singh Chaddha, Raksha Bandhan Focused on using the same.
The darlings came when Alia Bhatt was enjoying the ultimate glory of Gangubai Kathiawadi. Now we know that it is difficult to predict the fate of any film, but you really can’t go wrong when the film stars Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt. The makers must have thought of using Alia’s popularity in a better way to promote Darlings. It certainly would have given a boost if it had ever been released theatrically.
Just for fun, here’s what we think Alia Bhatt’s Darlings could have earned at the box office (till August 15) –
5 August 2022, Friday – Day 1: 8 crore
second day: 11 crore
day 3: 14 crore
Weekend 1: 33 crore
Day 4: 6 crore
Day 5: 50 million
Day 6: 4 crore
Day 7 (Raksha Bandhan holiday): 4 crore
Day 8: 3 crore
Day 9: 4 crore
Day 10: 50 million
Day 11 (Independence Day Holiday): 6 crore
Total (as of 15 August): 70 crore,
What do you think like that? Do you think the makers of Darlings repeated the same mistake that Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar did? Lal Singh ChaddhaMissing the golden occasion of August 5, and Raksha Bandhan respectively? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.