MUMBAI, April 12 After a promising start at the box office, Sunny Deol’s latest action-thriller Jaat has seen a noticeable dip in collections on its second day. Directed by Gopichand Malineni and produced by Mythri Movie Makers—the production house behind the Pushpa franchise—the film earned ₹7 crore on Day 2, taking its total Indian collection to ₹16.5 crore, according to early estimates by industry tracker Sacnilk.
Show Count Slashed Across IndiaThe fall in numbers coincides with a reduction of over 400 shows across India. On its opening day, Jaat was screened in 5,585 shows, but that number dropped to 5,141 on Day 2. The dip included 100 cancelled shows in Mumbai and 30 in Delhi-NCR, signaling weakening audience traction despite Sunny Deol’s star power.
Day 1 had shown promise with an opening collection of ₹9.5 crore, but the film’s occupancy rate fell from 14.28% on Thursday to 11.19% on Friday, highlighting waning footfall in theatres nationwide.
Regional Struggles and Pan-India AmbitionsApart from north India, Jaat was also positioned as Sunny Deol’s attempt to break into the South Indian market, mimicking the cross-regional appeal seen with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan. However, show counts in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai were reduced on Day 2, reflecting poor reception in southern circuits.
This follows a growing trend of Bollywood stars attempting South Indian-style cinema with limited success. Salman Khan’s Sikandar and Varun Dhawan’s Baby John both underperformed at the box office despite incorporating South-flavored action and storytelling.
Star Cast and What’s Next for Sunny DeolIn addition to Sunny Deol, the film features Randeep Hooda as the primary antagonist, with Ramya Krishnan, Jagapathi Babu, Saiyami Kher, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Zarina Wahab in pivotal roles.
Following the moderate response to Jaat, Deol is expected to shift focus to upcoming big-ticket projects, including Lahore 1947 and the much-awaited sequel to his iconic war film Border.
While Jaat still has a chance to stabilize over the weekend, its downward trajectory suggests that word-of-mouth and weekend footfalls will be critical for the film to maintain momentum.
