ALPHA has a decent start at the box office and is looking to put up a fair number on the first day which will be higher than what most of the industry had expected. The advances of the ran well in the national chains though it could have been better outside. The opening wont be at the number the budget of the film needs but that went out of the window with the failure of WAR 2.

The failure of that film hurt this film badly because if that film had done well, then this film would be looking at a double digit initial (going by the initial response today) and if WAR 2 had become a BLOCKBUSTER, which it was expected to become, then you would be looking at an even higher number for ALPHA. The film was fighting a losing battle in terms of the franchise value post WAR 2 but on the other side the film has been made at this level due to the franchise value. It started when the franchise was flying before WAR 2.

ALPHA is a female action film and there is no history of these in recent times but they did work in earlier times with actresses like Hema Malini and Rekha. The biggest example being when a PHOOL BANE ANGARAY took out an Aamir Khan starrer DIL HAI KE MANTA NAHIN in 1991. Actually it should be easier for these to find an audience today compared to the older days. But the female audience has to be on side and for that the film probably has to deal with social causes while ALPHA is more of a popcorn entertainer where it relates less to the female audience.

The film should at least get 7 crore nett up on the board but if it can to get 8 crore nett or higher it would be actually be a good result considering post WAR 2 scenario. There was negativity for this film as well when its teaser came as many in the industry even expected numbers like 3 and 4 crore nett. But this negativity is all internet noise and ground realities are always something else. There is always a difference between the noise pre release and post release as post release, it can be real but pre release you have to take with a pinch of salt.

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ALPHA is looking at a good first day as the collections look set to finish around the 9 crore nett mark. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI opened to 9.50 crore nett and that will probably be a stretch but there is an outside chance it can also reach there. The film has seen good momentum through the day and will end the day with a good result.

It is a good result for the stardom of Alia Bhatt as again it shows that she is one of the very few heroines with some sort of pull at the box office. Its not mass pull or anything but with the big city multiplex audience, she is a box office draw as well as Overseas. Her films tended to outperform in centres like Mumbai and Pune before the pandemic and it remains to be seen if it still stands that way as these markest have changed. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI can't really be counted as that was Maharashtra heavy and a film for these centres.

As for the film itself, there is a lot of work to do and the opening day is just a platform. The film is not as costly as a GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI but being an action film, it will be much more front loaded even though its female action. It would have been a completely different scenario had WAR 2 not been rejected so badly. If this film can pick up 9 crore nett after WAR 2, where the franchise gets hurt so badly, then the scenario could have been very good if WAR 2 had worked. But this is the risk of franchise films being made almost simultaneously as one will come before and if results go the wrong way then the other film will get hurt. This is what basically has happened to ALPHA.

The film needs to grow well on Saturday but action films do have their limitations for growth even if reports are positive and here they are mixed.

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ALPHA has done well on its first day and actually got a good opening day collection of 9 crore nett which was not expected. The film had to contend with pre release negativity in the digital world but audiences have turned up on the first day. Its a different story the film may not have the reports that an action film needs to get the growth needed to justify the costs. Despite all the negative backlash, the public out there have still given it a go and is in the race after day one.

The issues started for the film as soon as WAR 2 flopped as it hit the franchise hard and if ALPHA was a smaller film, it could have gotten away with it. But it needed to be comfortably in double digits on day one and the only way for that was the franchise factor had to be working for the film while post WAR 2, the franchise factor became more of liability instead of a plus.

The 9 crore nett number is far more than anyone in the industry expected. So, the accusations of feeding come out as its heavily prevalent in the industry and when something surprises, its easy to put it down to feeding today. The collection is organic and there is NO feeding. There maybe BookMyShow screenshots going around of housefull shows pre release. But when you see the collection of these shows, they are normal and that's all that matters and its this that tells you if its feeding or not.

Its like today makers will send these screenshots of BookMyShow sales to show good trend or sales and probably knowing fully well there will be tickets from the next day and the next day or even next included in this. Not that sales matter much as its about collection as a GADAR 2 or even WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE will have a bigger ratio of sales outside BMS. Anyway real daily sales are available with BMS. So getting them will show the real daily trend but they will not get as it does not suit the purpose.

Coming back to feeding, there is a system to this. Firstly, before it all starts, you get the paid media on side as these are the lot which are going to attempt to give the perception for which you are feeding. This is most important. When the feeding starts, the trends will be different, be it multiplex chain or some centres or if that does not tell, then on release, collections will be off at places and this is not the case here with ALPHA. Thirdly, Overseas will tell as it will not be in sync with India. If its minor feeding then this will not tell much but if done in bigger margins it will show up. For the record, ALPHA also clears this hurdle.

The industry knows exactly how it works as most of the industry indulges in it. The irony of ALPHA will be is that its this paid media which will be shouting feeding but when its actually done, they have to keep quiet. There is nothing dodgy about the collections of this film and it has actually got a good number up on day one. Simply put, no one feeds without getting the paid media on side first as it will not serve the purpose. Those who have done feeding will know that and here it does not take us to say where this media stands on this film.

The film has a long journey to survive due to the costs but the start is actually good though how it will go from here remains to be seen.

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ALPHA did well on Saturday as it grossed 11.50 crore nett showing a 25% jump on the previous day. This is decent growth for a film in the action genre especially when its opened well on Friday. The film saw good jumps in all the markets which were low on Friday, be it the central belt or Gujarat. These went up by around 40%.

The film had good numbers in South and West Bengal on day one and these have also followed through well on the second day. Despite all the negative noise around the film, ALPHA has actually done well over the first two days as it stands at 20.50 crore. Its just not India but overseas is good as well with over $1.2 million in the first two days.

The Sunday is crucial but this jump on Saturday in the Hindi mass circuits gives some hope. It these follow through on the Sunday, then there will be a good result on the third day for sure. The film was pretty much written off by the industry on release due to the noise coming from the digital world. But after two days, the film is still in the race and the next two days are crucial.

The two day collections of ALPHA are as follows.

Friday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,50,00,000 apprx