"The Conjuring: Last Rites," the latest installment in the popular horror franchise, has exceeded expectations with its opening day performance in India. According to Sacnilk, the film earned approximately ₹18 crore net across all languages on its first day. This impressive figure positions it as the biggest Hollywood horror opener in India, surpassing previous records and dominating the box office.
The film's success is particularly notable considering the competition it faced from several Indian releases, including Tiger Shroff's action film "Baaghi 4" and Vivek Agnihotri's political thriller "The Bengal Files". "Baaghi 4" managed to collect around ₹12 crore on its opening day. Meanwhile, "The Bengal Files" had a comparatively lackluster start, earning around ₹1.75 crore.
"The Conjuring: Last Rites" demonstrated strong occupancy rates across different languages and formats. English shows recorded an overall occupancy of 61.10%, while Hindi shows had 49.61%. Notably, English 4DX screenings achieved nearly 92% occupancy, with cities like Hyderabad reporting almost full occupancy in some time slots. Hindi 2D shows averaged around 50% occupancy, and Hindi 4DX screenings reached 91% overall. The film's release in regional languages, such as Telugu and Tamil, also contributed to its strong performance.
Globally, "The Conjuring: Last Rites" is projected to earn around $115 million during its opening weekend. In the United States, the film earned $30 million on Friday and is expected to debut with over $65 million from nearly 3,800 theaters. Some estimates even suggest that the numbers could reach $70 million, which is almost double the initial projections. The film's success in the US market is attributed to positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth, with many praising its blend of horror and emotional storytelling.
"Baaghi 4," despite being a highly anticipated action comeback for Tiger Shroff, fell short of expectations compared to earlier installments in the franchise. While the film was expected to have a double-digit opening, its ₹12 crore collection on day one was less than "Baaghi 3," which had earned ₹17.5 crore on its opening day. The film recorded an overall 28.32% Hindi occupancy on Friday.
"The Bengal Files," starring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi, also struggled to make a mark at the box office. The film's ₹1.75 crore opening day collection was significantly lower than Vivek Agnihotri's previous film, "The Kashmir Files," which had collected ₹3.55 crore on its first day. "The Bengal Files" faced stiff competition and alleged resistance from theater owners, particularly in West Bengal.
