Abhishek Bachchan’s latest film, I Want to Talk, has failed to make a notable impact at the box office despite receiving positive reviews from critics. The film, which was expected to perform better, has struggled to attract audiences, with its total nett collection standing at just Rs 1.68 crore after five days of release. The performance of the film has been disappointing, and several factors have contributed to its lackluster box office numbers.
One major reason for the film’s underperformance appears to be the lack of promotion and marketing. Many moviegoers were unaware that the film was even releasing, which led to limited awareness and engagement. The film’s release was also on a smaller scale, with a limited number of screens across the country, which did not help generate significant buzz or anticipation. This limited release meant fewer people had access to it, and it failed to make a big splash.
On its opening day, I Want to Talk earned just Rs 25 lakh, a very low start for a film starring a well-known actor like Abhishek Bachchan. The collections saw a slight increase in the following days, but not enough to recover. On Day 2, the film made Rs 55 lakh, bringing its total to Rs 80 lakh. Day 3 saw a slight improvement with Rs 53 lakh, but the overall collections only reached Rs 1.33 crore by the end of the weekend. The situation worsened on Day 4, with the film collecting just Rs 17 lakh, and Day 5 brought in only Rs 18 lakh, making the total Rs 1.68 crore.
For comparison, I Want to Talk struggled to even surpass the earnings of The Sabarmati Report, a film that was released a week prior and managed to collect more than I Want to Talk’s total earnings within just 12 days. Despite controversies surrounding its content, *The Sabarmati Report* earned Rs 90 lakh on its 12th day, while I Want to Talk failed to make any major progress.
The film’s box office performance was marked by very low occupancy rates. The overall occupancy in the Hindi market was a mere 9.38%, with only marginal increases in certain regions. In Mumbai, with only 75 shows running, the occupancy was slightly higher at 12.25%, but in Delhi and NCR, with 140 shows, it was just 7.75%.
Despite these challenges, there remains optimism among industry insiders regarding the film’s future performance. Given the film’s small-scale release and lack of promotion, it is believed that it might have been intended for a digital release, and that it could gain more traction and a positive reception once it drops on streaming platforms. The digital release could offer the film a wider audience and more favorable circumstances, allowing it to be appreciated by viewers who missed it in theaters.
