It was four years ago that we saw Rani Mukerji on the big screen in Mardaani . The Pradeep Sarkar crime thriller opened to ₹3.44 crore net, eventually ending its theatrical run at ₹35.83 crore net. Cut to 2018 and Mukerji has returned with Hichki , that incidentally, opened in the same range, ₹3.25 crore net. Reportedly made on a budget of ₹20 crore, the film has already mustered ₹26 crore net.
The long gap of four years clearly hasn’t made a dent in Mukerji’s standing at the box office. “ Mardaani performed fine, opening at similar levels [compared to Hichki ],” says Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, a firm specialising in trade insights. “The fact that four to five years have passed and the two films have opened at the same level means her equity hasn’t faded over time.” While other actors have lost their fan base by being out of the limelight, Mukerji has a firm hold over hers, which mostly comprises women and older audiences.
Yash Raj Film’s latest was strategically released in under 1,000 theatres, restricted to multiplexes across the country’s metros. Notably, the promotions were bare bones and restrained. “The growth has been slow but Hichki is steadily gaining ground,” says box office analyst Girish Johar. “The film has a very limited audience and it’s been smartly released around [children’s] exam times, but it would have [made more money] if the songs were better.”
Female actor-driven films with niche subjects — of which Hichki is a prime example — usually rely entirely on their content. So far Mukerji’s film has been receiving word of mouth appreciation which has helped fill those cinema seats. Trade analysts expect the film to end its run at the theatres with at least ₹40 crore net or even more. The prediction is a confident one despite the release of the action-driven, youth and mass-oriented Tiger Shroff film, Baaghi 2 , this Friday. “The audience of the two films will not overlap,” says Kapoor. While Shroff does have his fan base in urban areas, his film is most likely to do well in single screens too. Hichki , on the other hand is restricted to multiplexes in cities where it only needs two to three shows over the next month to continue its steady performance.
