Kapil Sharma of The Kapil Sharma Show may not expected the kind of response his fans have given to his much-publicised film, Zwigato. Directed by Nandita Das, Zwigato has been trending on the internet for many days as Kapil made rare media appearances on several TV channels. He even made an appearance oas a guest on his own Sony TV show. But the film is believed to have bombed at the box office after it was revealed that Zwigato Day 1 Box Office Collection was not even one crore. While there could be many reasons for the dismal performance of Zwigato, many believe that the fatigue caused the unprecedented commercial success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan could also be one factor behind audience’s reluctance to buy tickets to watch Kapil’s film.
Zwigato was distributed by Mukesh Ambani’s Viacom 18, who released the in little over 400 screens. In contrast Pathaan was screen in a record 8,000 screens worldwide.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh called the the makers’ decision to onlygo for 409 screens a smart move as he wrote, “‘ZWIGATO’ INDIA SCREEN COUNT… Team #Zwigato has opted for a focused, targeted release of 409 screens across #India… Smart move by the makers and distributors for the critically-acclaimed film.”
According to the Box Office Worldwide, Zwigato opened to just 5% occupency unlike Pathaan, which had broken many records in terms of advance booking. Zwigato is expected to collect between Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 30 lakh on the opening day of its release. Pathaan had collected more than Rs. 100 crore on the first day of its release worldwide. Alhtough, Zwigato’s budget is nowhere close to the budget of Pathaan, such poor response will cause immense disappointment to the nation’s favourite comedian, who’s been bringing smiles to millions of people through his show every weekend.
One user from Dehbradun wrote on Twitter, “Zwigato ka phla din hai aur dehradun pvr mai sirf 1 se 2 hi shows chl rhe hai ? Jab ki flop hui shehzada tkk ko abhi tkk 3 shows mil rhe the din ke ?? Aisa kyun.”
Zwigato ka phla din hai aur dehradun pvr mai sirf 1 se 2 hi shows chl rhe hai ? Jab ki flop hui shehzada tkk ko abhi tkk 3 shows mil rhe the din ke ?? Aisa kyun @KapilSharmaK9 @nanditadas @_PVRCinemas pic.twitter.com/CyHDpEkaFK
— vidit rana (@notyboymusic) March 17, 2023
Another user wrote, “Was saddened and shocked at the response of #mrschatterjeevsnorway and #Zwigato . Shows have been cancelled and no audience is the reason. Producers should have released them on ott. Appalling. This is serious.”
Was saddened and shocked at the response of #mrschatterjeevsnorway and #Zwigato . Shows have been cancelled and no audience is the reason. Producers should have released them on ott. Appalling. This is serious. pic.twitter.com/uugcL7dBfC
— Rishi Raj Reviewzzzzz (@RishiRa02716150) March 17, 2023
It remains to be seen if Zwigato will gain momentum over the weekend.