The weekend began on Friday with six new films at the Indian box office, four from Bollywood and two from Hollywood. But the public’s verdict is something no one can truly judge. In this epic clash of films, the winner was the film from which no one expected anything, Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, which fans are dubbing Haunted 3D Returns.
How did Haunted 3D returns benefit from fan demand?
Director Vikram Bhatt, who made horror films like Raaz (2002) and 1920 (2008), made “Haunted 3D” in 2011. The film proved to be a surprise hit, grossing almost double its budget. Fans, who have long looked to Hollywood for their love of horror films, have been clamoring for a sequel. When its sequel, “Haunted 3D Returns,” was finally announced, fans were overjoyed.
Why was Haunted 3D trolled before release?
When the trailer came out, the film was heavily trolled on social media because its visuals appeared to be created by AI. When the film was released on Friday, its reviews also criticised these AI visuals. The film doesn’t feature any major stars. Its hero is Mithun Chakraborty’s son Mahaakshay aka Mimoh, and the lead actress is newcomer Chetna Pandey. But the public is the public.
How many shows did Haunted 3D get?
Haunted 3D Returns received such a response in advance booking that theaters increased its showings. Data from SacNilk shows it received over 2,900 shows on Friday, the highest among the seven new films. The film collected Rs2.50 crore on Friday, jumped to Rs3.25 crore on Saturday, and rose to Rs3.60 crore on Sunday. Sunday saw over 4,100 shows.
What were the weekend collections of other films?
Despite negative reviews and constant trolling, “Haunted 3D” collected Rs9.35 crore nett over the weekend, emerging victorious. The weekend collections (net India) of the remaining five films were:
I’ll Be Back – Rs 5.50 crore
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata – Rs 4.25 crore
Governor – Rs 3.45 crore
Disclosure Day – Rs 6.40 crore
Backrooms – Rs 3.45 crore
Haunted 3D benefited significantly from being a sequel during the weekend, and the public has shown confidence in it. However, negative reviews may now hurt the film. It remains to be seen how Vikram Bhatt’s horror film fares at the box office starting Monday.
