Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal in a still form Zara Hatke Zara Bachke song Baby Tujhe Paap Lagega. (Photo: Saregama Music/ YouTube)
Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan’s Zara Hatke Zara Bachke hit the theaters on Friday, two weeks after the release of The Kerala Story which created a storm at the ticket counters. The audience was craving for an option besides The Kerala Story and this helped Zara Hatke Zara Bachke to start its theatrical run on a decent note.
As per the industry tracker Sacnilk, the Laxman Utekar directorial got an opening of Rs 6 cr (early estimates). The film had an overall 19.64% occupancy on Friday. The number is expected to grow further over the weekend since the film has received a mixed response from film critics and the audience. However, since the film has been released alongside Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, there are chances of it losing some of its audience. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse earned Rs 4.20 cr in India on its opening day, Thursday.
The opening day collection of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is better than Akshay Kumar’s Selfiee (Rs 2.55 cr) and at par with Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada (Rs 6 cr). Up until now, it is the sixth-best Bollywood opener of 2023 after Pathaan (Rs 57 cr), Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (Rs 15.73 cr), Bholaa (Rs 11.20 cr), Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Rs 15.81 cr) and The Kerala Story (Rs 8.05 cr).
As per a Bollywood Hungama report, the film earned Rs 3.15 crore from the three national chains – PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis. The other factor which helped the film in getting a good box office collection was the ‘buy one get one’ offer which became an incentive for the audience to head to the theaters.
In terms of critics’ verdict, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke has got a mixed response. The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta wrote that the makers failed to tap into the film’s comic potential. In her review, she wrote, “In the way it gets going, Zara Hatke is pure sitcom territory. But the film never quite builds on its comic potential, by throwing a tonal switch somewhere down in its second-half, introducing a plot twist doused in mothballed sentimentality, and adding a dreary sanskari layer to the whole thing. That, and by consistently flat writing, which overcomes the efforts of the actors.”