‘Emergency’ Box Office: Kangana Ranaut Film Grazes ₹2.4 Crore on Opening Day

Kangana Ranaut’s long-awaited political drama Emergency is reported to have opened lukewarm at the box office, collecting ₹2.4 crore on its opening day. It is about India’s turbulent Emergency years between 1975 and 1977. It marks her return as both an actor and director back to the silver screen.

Mixed Opening Amid High Expectations Despite the huge pre-release hype, opening-day figures suggest a soft opening for the film. According to trade analysts, the underperformance is on account of several factors, such as niche subject matter, mass appeal being very limited, and a strong competitive landscape.

The movie has Ranaut in the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and is based around the political and social turmoil at the time. Though the film has received accolades for performances and production design, its very strong political undertones may have kept viewers away from coming to see it casually.
Emergency received mixed reviews. Many have been praising Kangana’s portrayal of Indira Gandhi, but this film has criticized for its slow pace and overly dramatic narrative. Social media reviews from the viewers are also not different; people are praising the bold storytelling while others are referring to it as a film only meant for a particular audience.
Trade analysts believe that the weekend box office will decide the fate of the movie. With good word-of-mouth and selective marketing, Emergency might see an increase in collections, especially in metros.

Box Office Competition

Emergency is competing with other releases like star-driven commercial films and holiday-season blockbusters. This must have worked against it in attracting more people on opening day.

Kangana Ranaut, known for her outspoken nature, has described Emergency as her “most challenging project” till date. Whether the film gathers momentum in the coming days or struggles to stay afloat at the box office remains to be seen.