Real to reel: Priyanka Chopra, Irfan Khan and Farhan Akhtar in Mary Kom, Paan Singh Tomar and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, respectively

Film buffs could not reach the theatres to watch the Priyanka Chopra-starrer Mary Kom in the state capital on Friday because of the autorickshaw strike, hampering the first day box office collections.

Debutant director Omung Kumar’s two hour-and-four-minute biopic based on the life of five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom, who also won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics and slotted for 24 shows in Patna, received between 30 and 40 per cent of the expected audience.

“The auto strike that continued till the evening hit the movie badly. Residents living near the theatre could come walking but the people from far-off places had to miss out on the movie. Though the film did good business in other parts of the state, theatres in Patna suffered. Once the auto strike is called off completely, we can expect crowds,” said Suman Sinha, the chairman-cum-managing director of Regent Theatre Private Limited.

Mary Kom could not beat Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, that created a buzz by collecting a record Rs 9.5 lakh. It was better than any other sports-related films or biopics released in the past few years, including Chak De! India and Paan Singh Tomar, which had notched first day collections of Rs 8.2 lakh and 6.3 lakh respectively. On its opening day, the film that has won appreciation among sportspersons like archer Deepika Kumari and shuttler Saina Nehwal, mopped up just Rs 6.1 lakh, the lowest among such films in Patna.

Apart from single screens, the footfall was equally bad at multiplexes. Cinepolis, screening 13 shows had 30 per cent occupancy figures and the advance bookings were not a match to Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

“We cannot deny that the auto strike has hit the business, as the youths mostly visit theatre by auto. Only two- and four-wheeler owners could visit to watch film,” said Abhishek Ranjan, Cinepolis manager.

Bihar Player Association president Mritunjay Tiwari said films based on sports always pull crowds if the script and the artistes are good. “Many people are not fortunate enough to watch these sportsmen live. But whenever they get the opportunity, they do not want to miss the excitement. But it is sad that because of the auto strike, many people could not watch the film on its first day.”

Those who watched the film appreciated it a lot. “The film was so inspiring,” Rajnish Kumar of Patliputra, who watched the film at Cinepolis.