Ayushmann Khurrana’s eighth consecutive hit Bala was hit by a roadblock on Saturday when, anticipating unrest after the Ayodhya decision, theatres in some cities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, specially Bhopal, decided to down shutters. The one-day hit has, however, not put this winner of a film on the back foot. Collections everywhere soared by 60 percent over the weekend.
Bihar’s prominent distributor Kishan Damani comments, “The collections of Bala are better and has opened stronger than Ayushmann Khurrana’s previous release Dream Girl with better reviews all across. Yes, collections were hit in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where theatres were closed to government orders.”
Another prominent exhibitor-distributor from Mumbai who wishes to go unnamed says Bala was initially affected by the release of a similar film a week earlier. “After Ujda Chaman last week audiences felt it was too much to see another film about premature balding. But they went nevertheless only because of Ayushmann Khurrana who has become synonymous with quality products.”