'Pari' draws good Day 1 numbers despite Holi and Trade strike

With rave reviews coming in from critics and the audience, Anushka Sharma starrer PARI, has begun to woo theatre goers successfully.

Despite a big festival like Holi on Friday in key markets of North India where the morning shows were expectedly low, the second half collections there raked in good numbers riding on high footfalls in the evening shows. So effectively, the numbers in these markets represent half-day collections only. In markets where Holi was celebrated on Thursday and not Friday, like West Bengal the film even opened to 100% occupancy in some theatres!!

PARI's Day 1 India Box Office Net collections were: 4.21 crores

With rave reviews coming in from critics as well as audience across markets, the Distributors and exhibitors are extremely upbeat about good growth in business on Day 2 and 3, riding on positive word of mouth soon.

Says co-producer Arjun N Kapoor of KriArj Entertainment "In many places outside Mumbai where theatres did not shut totally, they still opened only after 3 pm. But the word of mouth is so good that Saturday and Sunday will prove to be good days for this Anushka starrer. However, states like West Bengal where people celebrated Holi yesterday, have registered extremely good collections on Day 1 itself."

Sanjay Chatar, leading distributor for Central India, says, "Major cinema halls in MP and Chattisgarh areas don't play movies on the Holi day in the morning; if they begin operations they start off only at 6 pm. Rajasthan began only after 4 pm. So the film's business in these crucial territories will only emerge over the weekend."

"Pari is doing superb in West Bengal. Literally, I had a feeling before the release that it will do well in West Bengal as the maximum shooting was done here .We had opened wide releasing in 118 theatres across Bengal which is a good number for a movie like this. Today it has opened with 100 percent occupancy in some the singles screens (Priya, Menoka, Star) as well as multiplexes (Inox, Pvr, Cinepolis, Carnival). I am really hopeful that the numbers will be great and in the box office it will be one of Biggest hit of 2018," says West Bengal distributor, Satadeep Saha of SSR Cinemas Pvt Ltd.

"The film has gotten 80 percent occupancy in Pune and Thane territories, where Holi is not celebrated widely. But then again, there are places like Nizam, Mysore and others down South that are reeling under a theatre strike. Over the weekend, as the theatre strike wraps up, the film is expected to display strong business," said another trade source.