Jab Harry Met Sejal Day 1 box office collection: Anushka Sharma-SRK starrer earns Rs 15.25 crore

Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma’s Jab Harry Met Sejal was one of 2017’s most awaited films. The fact that it was directed by Imtiaz Ali and that it was the second release of the year for both these actors added to the excitement surrounding the film. However, it wasn’t able to deliver in terms of content or even at the box office; critics said that apart from the chemistry of the lead actors, there was nothing else that could redeem the film. [caption id=“attachment_3886051” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Jab Harry Met Sejal. Image from Facebook[/caption] As per a report on Koimoi.com, the film has made Rs 16.50 crores nett on its opening day. Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, however, says that it has earned Rs 15.25 crore. The morning shows of the film had 40-45 per cent occupancy, and it released across 3,200 screens.

#JabHarryMetSejal Fri ₹ 15.25 cr. India biz... Growth on Sat and Sun crucial for a respectable total... #JHMS

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) August 5, 2017

Imtiaz Ali has come a long way from his directorial debut Socha Na Tha, which made Rs 3.50 crores. At the time, Ali had not established his brand of cinema, and hadn’t employed any big Bollywood stars either. The release of Jab We Met in 2007 sparked an interest in his storytelling style, coupled with the minute attention paid to the detailing of the main characters Geet and Aditya, played by Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. The film made Rs 31 crores at the box office, it was appreciated by critics, and its dialogues became extremely popular and quotable too. Then came Love Aaj Kal, a film which saw two popular actors Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in an unconventional love story. It received mixed reviews from critics, but earned Rs 66.50 crores, which is more than twice as much as Jab We Met’s collections. By now, Ali’s inclination towards the subjects of travel, love and awareness of the self had become well known, but his next two films did not have the same light and uplifting tone as his previous works. [caption id=“attachment_3897457” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Imtiaz Ali. Firstpost image[/caption] Rockstar, starring Ranbir Kapoor in a never-seen-before character of a brooding musician, released in 2011. Kapoor’s acting chops combined with AR Rahman’s soulful music earned the film many fans, as well as a box office collection of Rs 71 crore. Granted it wasn’t close to the success of Salman Khan’s Ready or Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One, but it still was a milestone for Ali himself. Highway, released in 2014, was another big win for the director, who chose to tell a story involving a young girl, a truck driver, Stockholm Syndrome and child sex abuse in the film. Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda were lauded for their performances, and Rahman’s music added to the film’s glories. It  made Rs 30.61 at the box office, which was a significant drop in terms of performance. His last offering before Jab Harry Met Sejal was Tamasha, a coming-of-age film which was more similar to Jab We Met in terms of its themes. It saw his previous picks Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in a story about a boy called Ved who tried to find himself. Tamasha earned Rs 53.46 crore; it was praised for its characterisation and the performances of the lead actors, but criticised for Ali’s inability to pull together the story. The film was labelled a flop It remains to be seen if Jab Harry Met Sejal will pick up steam over the weekend and during the first week of its release.