Alia Bhatt and Sharvari’s spy action film Alpha made a respectable start at the Indian box office by collecting around Rs. 8.50 crore nett on its opening day. Although the collection is not considered enough considering the film’s reported budget, it has performed better than many pre release expectations. The opening has also come despite the film receiving mixed to negative reactions from critics and audiences after its release.
The film also recorded a good opening in international markets. According to early estimates, Alpha collected around USD 650K, which is approximately Rs. 6.25 crore, on its first day overseas. This is a stronger overseas opening than several recent Hindi films that performed better in India. Trade observers believe the film had the potential to earn close to USD 750K overseas based on advance bookings. However, the mixed response after release may have affected its final opening day figures.
Before its release, Alpha was already facing several challenges. Female led action films have traditionally found it difficult to attract large audiences at the Indian box office. The film also belongs to the YRF Spy Universe, which has recently faced setbacks after the underperformance of Tiger 3 and War 2. While the teaser and trailer generated some interest, they struggled to overcome the negative perception surrounding the franchise.
Considering these factors, the opening day performance can be seen as a positive sign. It suggests that the film managed to attract a fair number of moviegoers despite facing several obstacles before release. Industry observers believe that if War 2 had received a stronger response and renewed audience confidence in the YRF Spy Universe, Alpha could have opened to much higher numbers.
The coming days will now play an important role in deciding the film’s box office journey. A positive response from audiences could have helped the film maintain steady collections over the weekend. However, with mixed to negative word of mouth spreading after release, Alpha may find it difficult to sustain its momentum. Whether the film can improve its performance will largely depend on audience support in the days ahead.