Box Office Day 3 Collection Update: Selfiee Doesn't Work, Akshay Kumar Set To Strike Back

It's a known fact that Selfiee hasn't done well at the box office. In fact more than 'not doing well', it has actually gone virtually unnoticed. When a big film like this what top names associated with it takes a start of only 11 crores* over the weekend then you know that audiences have chosen to let go of it. It's not at all about a product being good or bad, it's about the product not been checked out at all. That's what has happened with Selfiee which opened at 2.55 crores* and though there jumps over the weekend, they were just not good enough.

So what really happened here? Well, it's simply unfathomable. Akshay Kumar is a major superstar and even though his last few films may have not done well, he has stayed on to be active as ever. The film is produced by Karan Johar whose Dharma Production is amongst the top two production houses that the industry has today, the other being Yash Raj Films. The promotion and marketing was aggressive, the trailer was interesting, there was no negativity around the movie either and even though it's a remake, the Malalayam original wasn't dubbed in Hindi.

Still, somehow audiences chose to give it a pass even though the product by itself is actually quite good. This is a good quality film that director Raj Mehta [Good Newwz, JugJugg Jeeyo] has made. Akshay Kumar has indeed performed quite ably while Emraan Hashmi is simply endearing and very likeable. Both the actors delivered well and there are good chunks of entertainment in the narrative spreading a little under two and half hours. However, all of that matters mainly if the first day is at least decent enough to lead to some kind of growth.

This is the case of a film just not being given a chance, though the quantum of ignorance is the heaviest that one has seen in the last few years when it comes to films featuring top superstars. So does that have any bearing on Akshay Kumar as a superstar? Will it make his standing in the industry weaker? Has he lost his fan-base with such kind of response to his films? Will the producers start thinking about roping him in for their next? Will the 'one man industry' have to relinquish his positioning in industry? Is there a cause for worry for him?

Well, it would suffice to say that for an actor who has been in the industry for over three decades and seen this kind of phase twice over already when first a dozen odd consecutive releases of his didn't work at the box office and later it happened again to him with half a dozen films of his failing in a row, Akshay Kumar would certainly be knowing better. After all, he is the same actor who was being seen as the savior of Bollywood when first he made Bell Bottom entirely during the pandemic and then delivered a major superhit with Sooryavanshi.

He is the same actor who was hailed for keeping the industry wheels moving when he signed around 12 films between 2020-22 when there were so many who were wondering whether it would be even safe to make films during the pandemic or if the industry would have some sort of revival. He single handedly rose the confidence of those around him as well that the world was not really coming to an end and it would be better to get back to the business of making movies and march ahead confidently than to just sit back and let the fear factor take over.

In the process he may have chosen a few films that were truly interesting and a few that were not. However, Selfiee is certainly not one of those films which makes one question his choices. Agreed that it could be the ripple effect of some of his earlier releases which didn't quite cover the distance due to which Selfiee got impacted as well. Unfortunate, but true. However, one major entertainer that wins over the audience and all is forgotten soon enough and the wheels of fortune start moving again in your favor.

For a superstar of his caliber, Akshay Kumar is set to strike back and with multiple films lined up next [OMG - Oh My God 2, Capsule Gill, Soorarai Pottru remake being ready for release, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Hera Pheri 3 under production], it could well be just a matter of time.

*Estimates. Final numbers awaited

Note: All collections as per production and distribution sources