Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh-starrer “Alpha” earned an estimated Rs 15.80 crore worldwide on its opening day, marking the lowest first-day collection for a film in the YRF Spy Universe. The action thriller, which opened to mixed reviews on Friday, collected around Rs 9 crore net in India and another Rs 5 crore from overseas markets, according to early box office estimates.
The film was screened across 7,534 shows in India and recorded an overall occupancy of 20.40 per cent on Day 1. Morning shows began with 9.92 per cent occupancy, which increased to 17.85 per cent in the afternoon and 19.69 per cent in the evening. Night shows recorded the strongest response at 34.15 per cent, helping the film improve its numbers later in the day.
Despite becoming the first female-led film in the YRF Spy Universe, “Alpha” recorded a significantly smaller opening than earlier entries in the franchise. “Pathaan” had opened with Rs 55 crore net in India, followed by “War 2” at Rs 52 crore and “War” at Rs 51.60 crore. “Tiger 3,” “Tiger Zinda Hai” and “Ek Tha Tiger” also posted substantially higher first-day collections.
The film has, however, opened better than Alia’s previous theatrical release, “Jigra,” which earned Rs 4.55 crore net in India on its first day. “Jigra” later finished with a worldwide collection of around Rs 56.93 crore against a reported budget exceeding Rs 80 crore. “Alpha” is now relying on weekend growth to improve its overall box office performance.
Early figures from Saturday indicated some movement, with the film collecting around Rs 21 lakh from 783 shows by 11 am, according to preliminary tracking data. Reports also suggested improved attendance during morning shows in parts of India. However, the film faces competition from other theatrical releases, including Akshay Kumar’s “Welcome to the Jungle” and Imtiaz Ali’s “Main Vaapis Aaunga.”
Directed by Shiv Rawail, “Alpha” is the seventh film in the YRF Spy Universe and stars Alia and Sharvari in the lead roles, with Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor appearing in important parts. The film’s performance over Saturday and Sunday will now be closely watched to determine whether stronger weekend collections can offset its comparatively weak opening day.