Deepika Padukone in a still from Chhapaak

Key Highlights Chhapaak is Deepika Padukone’s lowest opener in the last nine years The film collected Rs 4.77 crore on Day 1 Co-starring Vikrant Massey, the film is directed by Meghna Gulzar

Deepika Padukone’s latest cinematic offering, Chhapaak, has had an underwhelming start at the box office. The film, on its opening day in cinemas, collected an ordinary Rs 4.77 crore, a performance clearly not at par with that of actress’s previous releases.

But what’s absolutely shocking is that Chhapaak is her lowest-opening film in the last nine years. After Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan (2011), which had collected Rs 4.20 crore on Day 1, all of Deepika’s films took a better opening than Chhapaak. Even Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny (2014), which is one of the lowest-earning films of her career, had taken a better start at Rs 5.10 crore.

Chhapaak, backed by positive critic reviews, is expected to see growth on Saturday and Sunday. However, going by the current trend, the jump might be limited. In such a scenario, it would be interesting to see how the film fares from Monday onwards.

At the box office, Chhapaak is facing Ajay Devgn’s big-ticket release, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. The film, also featuring Saif Ali Khan and Kajol in the lead roles, has taken a stupendous start with its Day 1 collection being Rs 15.10 crore. There is no doubt that Tanhaji, that has reviews and word of mouth in its favour, is a huge trouble for Chhapaak, and the one that is not likely to leave it until the end of its cinematic run.

Chhapaak, starring Vikrant Massey as the male lead, is directed by Meghna Gulzar, who previously directed the Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal-starrer Raazi. The film is Deepika’s first release in the last two years. She was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmaavat, co-starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor. With lifetime collection of Rs 302 crore, the film had emerged the top grosser of Deepika’s career.