Amit Sharma’s Badhaai Ho has emerged as a box office winner, earning an estimated Rs 45.50 crores since its release on October 11. The comedy, which stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta and Sanya Malhotra, was released a day earlier than usual to take advantage of the Dussehra weekend.
The high-concept comedy created a strong buzz with its trailer, and the treatment carried out the promise contained in the one-line plot – family deals with repercussions of unplanned middle-aged pregnancy. Badhaai Ho made its mark despite an ongoing strike in cinemas in Madhya Pradesh to protest a series of local taxes on entertainment in addition to the General Sales Tax.
For Khurrana, Badhaai Ho follows the success of Sriram Raghavan’s crime thriller Andhadhun, in which he leads an ensemble cast that includes Tabu and Radhika Apte. Andhadhun has reportedly made Rs 56.80 crores in its third week.
Namaste England, which was released on the same day as Badhaai Ho, was easily eclipsed by its rival. Vipul Shah’s migration-themed movie reunited Ishaqzaade leads Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. The moth-eaten plot and indifferent performances resulted in an estimated Rs seven crores over the opening weekend.
