The box office is gearing up for an intense battle this Valentine’s Day weekend as Vicky Kaushal’s historical epic Chhaava and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World go head-to-head on February 14.
Trade experts anticipate that Chhaava, which brings the story of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to life, may open with collections exceeding Rs 25 crore nett, while the latest instalment in the Hollywood superhero franchise will earn in double digits in India.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh called the clash “exciting” and expressed high expectations from Chhaava. “I’m more excited about Chhaava because it’s based on the life story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. It has Vicky Kaushal, Maddock Films, and Laxman Utekar, who has a fantastic track record. Everything put together, it’s going to be a great start for Chhaava," Adarsh told PTI.
According to him, the film's advance bookings suggest an opening-day collection in the range of Rs 25-30 crore nett or even higher.
Captain America: Brave New World marks Anthony Mackie’s debut as the titular superhero after Chris Evans' Steve Rogers passed on the shield to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Adarsh believes it may struggle against Chhaava at the Indian box office.
“While Captain America is a brand, the audience will always prefer a local language film over a Hollywood one. It’s a bit too early to predict numbers, but it should go into double digits. But I don’t know how this film will withstand a tough competitor like Chhaava. It is a mighty opponent,” he added.
Gautam Dutta, CEO - Revenue and Operations, PVR INOX Ltd, expressed optimism about the box office clash of these two films. “Chhaava brings the heroic legacy of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to life with intense battle sequences and a gripping narrative, making it a major box-office draw, especially for Vicky Kaushal’s fanbase,” Dutta told PTI.
He also highlighted the continued popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in India. “Captain America: Brave New World fuels the ever-growing Marvel fandom in India, with Sam Wilson stepping into the mantle of Captain America and the explosive arrival of Red Hulk, driving massive excitement. The demand for high-octane spectacles, especially among Gen Z, continues to dominate the box office, and both films promise an edge-of-the-seat experience.”
As per Sacnilk, Chhava has already collected Rs 8.79 crore gross (Rs 11.29 crore gross with block bookings) domestically in advance booking from the pre-sales of 3.07 lakh tickets. Captain America: Brave New World, on the other hand, eyes an opening weekend collection of USD 200 million globally, according to the industry data-tracking portal.
