Barfi Hit or Flop: Box Office Prediction

Barfi releases in theatres today and the expectations are sky-high for various reasons. One, the pre-release buzz is fantastic. Earlier this week, the makers had organised a screening for the press. Since then, we have only been hearing good things about the film. Social networking sites too have been buzzing with positivity. Two, it’s Ranbir Kapoor’s return after Rockstar, a film that won him several popular awards including the Filmfare for Best Actor. Three, Barfi is directed by Anurag Basu who has directed critically acclaimed films like Life in A Metro and Gangster.

Coming to the box-office prospects of Barfi, the film was initially slated for a limited screen release. After the press screening, UTV has gone for a wider release – about 1700+ screens in India and 350 overseas. The film will have a limited single screen release.

The buzz on the internet is strong, but the promotions have been pretty low-key. The feel-good music has clicked, but the album lacks a chartbuster that can make a difference at the box-office.

Considering the genre of the film (silent) and lack of mainstream ingredients that guarantee a initial, Barfi should open slow and then pickup on word-of-mouth. The opening should be better at major cities, where Ranbir has a strong fanbase.

We expect the opening day figures to be around 6-7 crores. After which, depending on the response, it could post a weekend of 23-25 crores nett.

In Week 2, the film has competition in Kareena Kapoor’s Heroine. But since both films are UTV Productions, they are likely to ensure Barfi has enough shows in it’s second week too. Again, a lot depends on the response the film gets.

Barfi Hit or Flop Prediction: We feel the film will work. The early reviews have been exceptionally good. Infact, Barfi is one of the best reviewed films of the year so far, scoring 75 out of 100 on our review scale (all 8 reviews were positive).

HIT it is then. Do tell us what you think in the comments section below.