Shehzada, a recent release starring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon, did not perform as well as anticipated at the box office. With a Friday average start of 6 crore, it did not significantly increase over the weekend and brought in 20.2 crore in three days. The movie, which also serves as Kartik’s co-producing debut, has drawn mixed reviews from critics.
Taran Adarsh, a film trade expert, shared the movie’s weekend box office figures on Twitter on Monday and stated, “Shehzada doesn’t live up to the expectations… The weekend business falls short… It is obviously lacking the big jump/turnaround on Saturday and Sunday that would have improved its prospects. 6 cr on Friday, 6.65 cr on Saturday, and 7.55 cr on Sunday. $20.20 crore [plus or less]. biz (business) in India.
After a mediocre start, Shehzada hardly improved on the down days, bringing in only 6.65 crore on Saturday and 7.55 crore on Sunday. Komal Nahta, a film industry analyst, had stated to Hindustan Times in response to the opening numbers, “It’s a flop straight from the word ‘go’.”
Shehzada, the Hindi adaptation of Allu Arjun’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), is a perfect star vehicle for Kartik Aaryan, according to an excerpt from the Hindustan Times review of the movie. The performer is the centre of attention throughout the entire movie, even taking precedence over supporting players and plot lines. In this archaic story of kids exchanged at birth and an extreme desire for vengeance, the performer is believable enough.
In an interview with PTI before the film’s release, Kriti had commented about her underwhelming performance in Shehzada, saying, “This is closest to me as a character. I didn’t have to enter another individual. This was more of a lighthearted, manageable part. I haven’t used my glamorous avatar in a while because I’ve been playing small-town characters. It’s good and energising to take a break.