The latest instalment of the YRF Spy Universe – Alpha – is primed for release in theatres. The franchise’s first female-led spy thriller stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, alongside Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. Given that is part of one of the biggest franchises in Indian cinema history, expectations are high from Alpha. But if early advance-booking trends are any indication, it may not be a happy start for the film in theatres. As things stand, hours before the first show is to begin, Alpha is struggling to gain momentum with ticket bookings and is staring at a rather lacklustre start.
Alpha advance bookings
The advance bookings for Alpha began only on Wednesday afternoon, less than two days before the film hits the screens. By Thursday morning, the film had barely gained any traction on ticketing platforms. By 10 AM, Alpha was selling just 1.3K tickets per hour on BookMyShow, the country’s largest ticketing platform. For a film of its scale, the figure is rather low. Overall, Alpha has managed to sell just 12K tickets across India by 10 AM on Thursday, grossing just over ₹40 lakh. The figure barely crosses the ₹50 lakh mark, even after adding advance booking sales for Saturday and Sunday, painting a sorry picture for the YRF spy thriller.
Alpha box office prediction
By last week, Alpha was trending well for a solid box-office opening. While most analysts agreed it would get a single-digit start (less than ₹10 crore net on day 1), some were bullish it could inch closer to the upper end of that range. But with the slow start to advance bookings, trade has readjusted its prediction for Alpha. According to insiders, Alpha may now be looking at an opening as low as ₹4.50 crore net for its first day. Even more optimistic estimates are not giving the film a start beyond ₹6 crore anymore.
Alpha will most certainly be the lowest-opening film of the YRF Spy Universe, but comparing it to superstar-driven big-budget ventures like Ek Tha Tiger, War, and Pathaan would be unfair. But this low opening would mean that Alpha would also struggle to beat the start of Alia’s previous big release, Jigra, which opened at ₹4.55 crore and had a dismal run at the box office. The film also pales in comparison to the only other spy thriller Alia has starred in. Raazi, the sleeper hit from 2018, had opened at over ₹7 crore.
All about Alpha
Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha is the first female-led spy thriller from Yash Raj Films and ties in with the studio’s YRF Spy Universe, which also includes Pathaan as well as the Tiger and War films. Alpha releases in theatres this Friday.