Opening weekend collection is always in the limelight, but sometimes it cannot make or break the destiny of a movie. At times, a movie starts its journey quietly and without making any records. Sometimes it is a strong performance, sometimes an emotional story and sometimes simply the audience discovering a film at their own pace.
From Queen to the recently released Main Vaapas Aaunga, these films proved that positive word of mouth can still make a difference at the box office.
Queen
When Queen released in March 2014, it wasn’t expected to become one of the year’s biggest success stories. The Kangana Ranaut-starrer opened to ordinary numbers, but the response changed dramatically over the following days. Viewers connected with Rani’s journey of self-discovery, and recommendations kept bringing new audiences into theatres. According to Sacnilk, the film finished its India run with around Rs 78.90 crore worldwide, making it one of Bollywood’s most memorable sleeper hits.
Badlapur
Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur presented Varun Dhawan in a role audiences hadn’t seen him play before. Released in February 2015, the revenge drama did not register a blockbuster opening. However, appreciation for its writing and performances helped sustain collections well beyond the first weekend. Sacnilk reports that the film earned nearly Rs 52 crore net in India.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha
There was little pre-release hype around Dum Laga Ke Haisha, but the film gradually found its audience. Released in February 2015, the film featured Ayushmann Khurrana and marked Bhumi Pednekar’s debut in relatable characters. Instead of fading after the opening weekend, it continued attracting viewers through positive recommendations. According to Sacnilk, the film collected about Rs 42.79 crore globally.
12th Fail
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail is one of the strongest recent examples of a slow-burning success. The movie produced by Vikrant Massey had an unremarkable opening in October 2023, facing strong competition from more mainstream movies. However, with positive reviews coming in, the film continued to play in theatres for several weeks. The Sacnilk site shows that worldwide collection of the movie is Rs 67 crore, which is much more than predicted on the opening weekend.
Main Vaapas Aaunga
This movie was released in June 2026 and also seems to have followed the same trend. The opening weekend collections of the movie were not great, but the business of the movie increased with good reactions from the audiences. According to Sacnilk, the film has collected over Rs 41.80 crore in India so far. Since it is still running in theatres, the final figure is expected to change.
While star power and marketing remain important, these films are reminders that audience opinion can still influence a film’s theatrical journey. A slow start does not always mean the story ends there. Sometimes, it is only after the first weekend that a film truly begins to find its audience.
