Hanuman Ansh Loses Shows but Refuses to Disappear as Drishyam 3 Fever Grips the Box Office
Actor Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3 has taken over theatres, sharply reducing Neem Karoli Baba biopic Hanuman Ansh's show count in Week 8. Even so, the sleeper hit is still drawing audiences deep into its ninth week.
Contrasting Box Office Performances
The spiritual drama, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has seen its show count drop sharply since Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3: The Conclusion arrived in theatres on October 2. Yet, even with significantly fewer shows, Hanuman Ansh has managed to retain decent occupancy and continues to attract audiences in its ninth week.
The contrast is particularly striking because the two films operate on completely different scales. Drishyam 3 opened to a massive response, while Hanuman Ansh took several weeks to find its audience.
Hanuman Ansh's Unusual Staying Power
For a film reportedly made on a budget of Rs 2 crore, completing eight weeks in theatres and entering its ninth week is an achievement in itself. Its continued performance, even after losing a substantial number of shows to Drishyam 3 further underlines the film's unusual staying power.
Interestingly, the sharp reduction in shows did not translate into a collapse in occupancy. Hanuman Ansh recorded 54 per cent occupancy on October 2, indicating that the film continued to find an audience despite losing a significant number of screenings.
The film remained steady over the next two days. On October 3, it collected Rs 2.10 crore from 1,339 shows at 39 per cent occupancy. On Sunday, October 4, it witnessed a noticeable recovery, earning Rs 3 crore from 1,399 shows at 57 per cent occupancy.
Drishyam 3 Dominates the Box Office
Ajay Devgn's film opened across 15,759 shows on October 2 and collected a massive Rs 62 crore in India nett on its opening day. The film's show count increased to 16,868 on Day 2 and further rose to 17,323 on Day 3.
Drishyam 3 collected Rs 53.50 crore on Saturday before recording growth on Sunday. The film earned Rs 61 crore on Day 3, taking its three-day India nett collection to Rs 176.50 crore.
The performance has given the franchise a commanding presence at the box office, with the film benefiting from the established popularity of the Drishyam series, Ajay Devgn's star power and the extended Gandhi Jayanti weekend.
