New Delhi:
John Abraham and Sharvari’s film Vedaa hit cinemas on Independence Day and had a strong opening. However, it saw a significant drop in collections on its second and third day. According to Sacnilk, Vedaa earned Rs 2.7 crore on Sunday, following its Rs 6.3 crore debut on Thursday, bringing its total to Rs 10.50 crore. The film faces tough competition from Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree 2 and Akshay Kumar’s Khel Khel Mein. Stree 2 has been dominating the box office and surpassed the Rs 100 crore mark in two days. Meanwhile, Khel Khel Mein has earned Rs 6.95 crore in its first two days.
Comparatively, John Abraham’s biggest solo opener remains 2018’s Satyameva Jayate, which made Rs 19.5 crore on its first day. His 2022 release Ek Villain Returns opened with Rs 7.05 crore, surpassing Vedaa’s opening day numbers. Within its first two days, Ek Villain Returns had earned Rs 14.52 crore. John’s recent releases, including Attack, Satyameva Jayate 2, and Mumbai Saga, all opened with less than Rs 5 crore.
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, who previously helmed Kal Ho Naa Ho, Vedaa received mixed reviews from critics. The duo’s last collaboration, Batla House, had a stronger opening, with Rs 14 crore on its first day.
For his NDTV review, Saibal Chatterjee said, “Vedaa, too, is based on actual events – killings of inter-caste couples ordered by kangaroo courts in the boondocks of north India. But the realities that the film seeks to bring to the big screen is considerably diluted by its over-dependence on the tropes of the genre that it adopts in order to tell its essential and urgent story of caste oppression. The out-of-work soldier and the grievously wronged Dalit girl who knows her rights but is thwarted and victimised at every step make common cause against the village head, his henchmen and the police. They respond to the violence that they are subjected to with more violence.”
