The box office can be quite unpredictable and for a change, this Friday has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan, opened beyond expectations. As per early estimates, its first-day collections are in the range of Rs. 5.25 crores and Rs. 5.75 crores, which is much better than some of the bigger films which have released in the post-pandemic world. One of the factors that went in its favour was that viewers were given the buy-one-get-one-ticket-free offer if they booked their tickets on the popular ticketing app, BookMyShow. Ever since the offer was introduced, a sudden spike was seen in ticket sales for the film.
Initially, the offer was valid only for Friday, that is, the day of release. But on Friday evening, the offer was extended till Sunday, June 4. As per the trade, this will pull more audiences to the cinemas for Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.
Interestingly, this offer is not the only reason that is attracting audiences to watch the comedy-drama. An official at a multiplex in Mumbai told Bollywood Hungama, “The buy-one-get-one-ticket-free offer can be availed only if one books tickets online. But we saw many viewers buying tickets from the counter where the offer isn’t valid. This shows that the viewers are coming to see the film not just due to the offer but also because they are genuinely interested in the product.”
A manager from another Mumbai multiplex remarked, “The makers have gone for normal pricing and not blockbuster pricing. On top of that, viewers got one ticket free through the offer. And even without the offer, the reasonable prices played a big role, especially when the other film of the week, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, has slightly inflated ticket rates. Also, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is a clean entertainer, targeted at families. The song ‘Phir Aur Kya Chahiye’ worked big time.”
He continued, “The IPL season is over and people want to come out for leisure and entertainment. Another factor is that there was no major Hindi release in May except The Kerala Story. Many haven’t seen a Hindi film in a long time on the big screen and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke ticked all boxes. It has come at the right time.”
Due to the BookMyShow offer and genuine interest to see the film, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is expected to have a healthy weekend. If it sustains in the weekdays, it can emerge as a surprise hit of the year.
source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/exhibitors-rejoice-zara-hatke-zara-bachke-opens-beyond-expectations-buy-one-get-one-ticket-free-offer-now-extended-till-sunday-june-4/
