Bhooth Bangla has opened to a strong yet mixed box office response, registering a noticeable jump in collections after its preview release earlier in the week. Despite the encouraging growth trend, the film’s performance places it in a competitive bracket when compared to recent Bollywood releases.
Strong Jump After Preview Release
The film earned ₹12.15 crore on its first major day from 12,386 shows, marking an impressive 250% rise over its preview-day collection of ₹3.50 crore on April 16. With this surge, the total India gross has reached ₹18.90 crore, while the net domestic collection stands at ₹15.75 crore. Globally, the film has so far collected ₹23.90 crore.
Comparisons With Recent Releases
Although the film shows momentum, its opening still trails several major recent titles. Horror-comedy releases such as Stree 2 delivered a massive ₹51.8 crore opening day, setting a high benchmark in the genre. Another comparable title, Thamma, opened at ₹24 crore, while the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 managed a stronger ₹35.5 crore opening.
Earlier entries in the franchise space, including Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, also outperformed Bhooth Bangla with ₹14.11 crore on day one.
Akshay Kumar’s Recent Box Office Trend
For Akshay Kumar, the film marks his biggest opener since Sooryavanshi, which had collected approximately ₹26.29 crore nett on opening day.
His recent films show a varied performance pattern, with Housefull 5 opening at around ₹24 crore, while Jolly LLB 3 registered ₹12.5 crore and Kesari Chapter 2 opened at ₹7.76 crore.
Competition at the Box Office
The film is also facing strong competition from Dhurandhar 2, which continues its long theatrical run and recently added ₹2.70 crore on its 30th day, taking its total nett collection to ₹1,105.82 crore.
Behind the Scenes and Production
Directed by Priyadarshan, Bhooth Bangla reunites him with Akshay Kumar after several successful collaborations, including Hera Pheri, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, De Dana Dan, and Khatta Meetha.
The ensemble cast includes Wamiqa Gabbi, Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, and Jisshu Sengupta.
The film is produced under Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Cape of Good Films, with production support from Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor.
Director Addresses Song Controversy
Recently, Priyadarshan also responded to speculation about a song in the film drawing similarities to Satyajit Ray’s 1969 classic Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. He clarified that the lyrics were original and noted that creative repetitions and references are common in cinema. He also expressed deep respect for Ray, calling him a “god of Indian cinema.”
Final Take
While Bhooth Bangla has shown promising growth after its preview release, its opening performance sits in the middle tier when compared to both Akshay Kumar’s previous films and recent horror-comedy blockbusters. Its long-term box office run will determine whether it can build momentum beyond its modest start.
