Less than 500 screens in India are showing Sooraj Barjatya’s movie.
One of India’s best storytellers, Sooraj Barjatya has contributed to some of the nation’s biggest blockbuster movies. His movies, which have resonance and gained recognition in India’s heartland, are based on universal themes like love, family, and friendship. After almost 7 years, the director is back in the director’s chair with Uunchai, an adventure drama with a friendship theme. Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, and Amitabh Bachchan play three buddies who climb Mount Everest to grant their friend’s final desire. In her capacity as an instructor, Parineeti Chopra teaches her companions to scale Mount Everest.
The home production of Sooraj Barjatya, Rajshri Productions, which just celebrated 75 years in the film industry, has a history of using very disruptive exhibition techniques for its films, and Uunchai is no exception. Due to the popularity of the subject matter, they have experimented with releasing their films on a very small number of theatres before expanding to more screens. When most movies opened on more than 150 screens, Hum Aapke Hai Koun, the biggest blockbuster of the 1990s, opened on just 35. Few theatres continued to show the movie for more than a year, yet it still managed to sell over 7 crore tickets at the ticket counter.
Uunchai will only be released on 483 screens in India and roughly 900 screens globally at a time when most films strive to release over 3000 screens, with big blockbusters aiming for 5000 screens. It is estimated that the movie will only have 1500 showings per day, which is a very small number. Based on the release and the typical ticket prices, the single-day potential is somewhere between Rs. 5 and 5.25 crore net. One might anticipate the movie to earn around Rs. 1.50 cr. net on day 1 with strong ticket sales of around 20,000, and it may have a longer run if it is well received like Sooraj Barjatya’s earlier movies.
The movie opens alongside Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which has had a fantastic start and is set to dominate the week’s box office with an anticipated weekend total of close to Rs. 40 crore net. Due to the difference in audiences, and because of the film’s restricted release, Uunchai won’t be affected by it.
Uunchai is now playing in theatres nearby.