The John Abraham spy thriller Romeo Akbar Walter struggled to a Rs5 crore opening on Friday, according to statistics from BoxOfficeIndia.com.
The film did not manage to replicate the magic of John’s previous release Satyameva Jayate (2018), which opened to a figure of Rs20 crore, but is still ahead of his Parmanu:The Story Of Pokhran (2018).
While Satyameva Jayate was a commercial action drama, Romeo Akbar Walter is a more dramatic spy thriller. Perhaps that explains the slow collection. However, the film will need to show improved collections on Saturday and Sunday if it hopes to keep its progress going.
Robbie Grewal’s film registered 10-15% of its major openings on the morning shows. Made on a budget of Rs35 crore, the film will seek to keep the rise over the weekend to hold steady.
The big Hollywood release of the week, Shazam, fared no better. The film earned Rs3 crore on its opening day, which is very low. The last Hollywood superhero film, Captain Marvel (2019), had earned Rs41.25 crore in its opening weekend.
With Shazam failing, and next week’s listing of Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai?, PM Narendra Modi, and The Tashkent Files offering little threat at the box office, Romeo Akbar Walter has a chance for a good, extended run. But all will depend on how the film does over the next three days.