Box Office: Ek Villain A Runaway Success, May Soon Enter Rs 100 Crore Club

After the blockbuster beginning of Humshakals, Bollywood has witnessed yet another runaway success in the romantic thriller Ek Villain, directed by Mohit Suri (of Murder 2 and Aashiqui 2 fame) and starring Riteish Deshmukh, Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor. And this time, we have an interesting plot, some brilliant acting and an overflowing box office – all in perfect sync. Released on June 27 in more than 2,500 screens in India, the flick has netted Rs 50.70 crore at home in the first three days (Friday Rs 16.72 crore, Saturday Rs 16.54 crore and Sunday Rs 17.44 crore; however, trade figure stood at Rs 49.28 crore) – the second highest weekend collection in 2014, behind Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho.

Compared to debut day, earnings dropped 55% on the first Monday but the medium-budget (it cost around Rs 40 crore) movie managed to nett Rs 8.10 crore at home. Tuesday collections also dipped (Rs 6.80 crore) but the movie amassed a total of Rs 65.60 crore from India business after Day 5, crossing Humshakals’ earnings (Rs 61.05 crore). Ek Villain has now become the fifth highest grosser of 2014, surpassing the lifetime collections of Queen (Rs 61 crore), Main Tera Hero (Rs 55 crore), Heropanti (Rs 53.40 crore) and Ragini MMS 2 (Rs 47 crore). Going by the trend, it may soon enter Rs 100 crore club. The movie was produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment.

“Ek Villain passes ‘Monday test’ with flying colours. Weekend 50.70 cr, Mon 8.10 cr. Total: Rs 58.8 cr nett. India biz. MONSTROUS HIT,” tweeted trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh. “Overseas weekend total is approx $2.2 million [Rs 13.24 crore]. EXCELLENT,” he added.



Although some movie buffs may notice a marked resemblance between Ek Villain and the Korean movie I Saw the Devil, director Suri had earlier told the media that it was not so. “That’s just one dialogue that I have taken from the Korean film’s promo, just like I have taken another dialogue from the film Jack Reacher,” Suri had told a daily.

Coming back to the movie itself, we must say that the ‘chill and thrill’ factor could have been more intense, especially when you have a psychopathic killer running loose, while the romantic part of the plot (gangster falling for the good girl) has been done to death by now and meanders a lot. In Ek Villain, all the key characters seem helplessly trapped in their own prisons and cannot get away. Guru (Sidharth Malhotra), a former hitman, only undergoes a temporary change when Aisha Verma (Shraddha Kapoor) walks into his life. But he goes back to his original vengeful self when Aisha dies, not of terminal illness but murdered by a serial killer. However, it is Riteish Deshmukh (Rakesh Mahadkar) who walks away with the honours. He is the perfect psychopath – an oppressed individual, a henpecked husband, a desperate lover and a ruthless killer all rolled in one.

Overall, the concoction of drama and melodrama, romance and terror has diluted the plot. But one still gets to see some fine performance and the flick is certainly a lot different from the routine Bollywood themes. And the best part of it all? Ek Villain has won hearts and set the cash register ringing.

Images: Indiatimes