Zero box office predictions: Shah Rukh Khan film will open at over Rs 30 crore, won’t beat Thugs of Hindostan, says expert

As Shah Rukh Khan awaits the release of his new film, Zero, on December 21, it looks like the movie will turn out to be a success. Also featuring Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, the Aanand L Rai film seems to have a lot to offer with well-picturised songs, a twist-filled plot and even a cameo by Salman Khan. Trade analyst Akshaye Rathi is confident that the film will open at Rs 30 crore or more.

Sounding positive about Zero, Rathi expects it to deliver what audiences are expecting. He said, “It has Shah Rukh Khan, Aanand L Rai, Anushka, Katrina…what else can you ask for! It has all the elements that take to make a blockbuster. More importantly, the trailer has really connected very well with the people. The anticipation around it is huge. It’s been a while since any big Hindi movie did great business. There is a huge audience waiting for an entertainer. The last movie in Hindi was Thugs of Hindostan which obviously underperformed a great deal. Zero is the first big ticket movie coming after that so it should do well.”

Talking about its chances of crossing Rs 100 crore, Rathi said, “After the third day, where the movie will head to, will purely depend on the merit of its content. If it’s a good film, it will cross the 100 crore mark in three days. If it turns out to be a disappointing film like Thugs of Hindostan which after an opening of Rs 50 crore fell to more than 50 percent on the second day, let’s hope this doesn’t happen in this case. Aanand should create his magic yet again and make the audiences come to the cinemas.”

On being asked about prospects of beating Thugs of Hindostan, Rathi said, “Thugs of Hindostan released day after Diwali, the biggest day for a movie business. That was a national holiday. Zero is releasing on a regular working Friday. Not only this, the significant Kannada film KGF is also releasing on the same day and will take substantial number of screens and shows. So, even that makes a difference.”

On being asked if Simmba will dampen its run in the second week, he says, “Rohit Shetty is one of the most entertaining filmmakers in the industry. Ranveer Singh is huge post Padmaavat. No matter what comes ahead of it, every film does the business it deserves to do. Even if Simmba takes some of the screens and does well, Zero will continue to do well if people want to watch it. Most people watch the film in its first week. Those who are not able to watch it, they go for it in the second and third week and are comparatively lesser number of people.” Simmba is set to hit the theatres ahead of the New Year on December 28.

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