The horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 directed by Anees Bazmee has ended its run at the box office with a worldwide gross of north of Rs 250 crore. The Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani star raked in Rs 1.82 billion net (Rs 2.15 million gross) in India and another $5.5 million (Rs 43 million gross) came from the international belts. Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani’s production has become a much-needed blockbuster for the Hindi film industry and with this run it’s poised to become one of the year’s biggest hits.
With a budget of Rs 70 crore, the creators invested an additional Rs 15 crore in printing and advertising, bringing the total investment to Rs 85 crore. They have generated good earnings across the board, with the Indian cinema share alone (Rs 85 crore) making up for the budget recovery, with a further Rs 18 crore coming in as the international share. The creators have had a bit of bad luck with the non-theatrical earnings as the deals were closed well before the pandemic, despite receiving a premium amount for a 4‑week premiere on Netflix.
The producers took Rs 60 crore from satellite and digital rights and a further 15 crore came from the music rights, bringing the non-theatrical recovery to Rs 75 crore. The real value of this non-theatrical postal hit at the box office is easily in the triple digits and therefore, as mentioned above, is more of an opportunity cost loss. The biggest winner of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’s success is the leading hero, Kartik Aaryan, who managed to push his reach among the masses.
Breaking into an already established brand can be difficult as audiences tend to compare, but the actor did justice to the character and has found acceptance from mass audiences as well. It is now up to him to capitalize on that love by appealing to a universal audience in India and going from strength to strength. It has also increased his stature as a star as Kartik Aaryan’s last 5 films — Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Love Aaj Kal, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Luka Chupi and Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety — have taken good initials at the box office, leading to a sign of consistency. Of course, franchise value pushed opening day a bit, but you need sellable stars to make an opening of Rs 13.50 crore in times we are in. His next, Shehhzada, also appears to be a front-loading film and has done well, according to insiders. Opening day youth swept in due to the fresh pairing of Kartik with Kiara, bolstered with the theme song which again made waves in that section of the audience. The film also increased the lead couple’s reach in family audiences who are usually loyal to a “good” Anees Bazmee film.
With a budget of Rs 85 crore the total recovery from all media is in the region of Rs 175 crore which is a 105% profit. It’s a money-making cow for the producers, and everyone involved, from producers to distributors, exhibitors, directors and actors, have reaped the rewards of this success. In terms of admissions, the horror comedy has sold around 1.25 million tickets in India, with a further 25 lakh abroad, bringing the global admissions figure north of 1.50 million. It is the highest value for Kartik so far. While the leading couple have increased their market value as stars and actors, Tabu re-established themselves as one of the Hindi film industry’s most credible actors. In fact, this turned out to be the much-needed blockbuster for the Hindi film industry as well.
Economy of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
investment
Production cost: Rs 70 crore
PnA: Rs 15 crore
Total: Rs 85 crore
Restoration
Share India: Rs 85 crore
Foreign share: Rs 18 crore
Digital Rights: Rs 35 crore
Satellite rights: Rs 25 crore
Music Rights: Rs 15 crore
Total recovery: Rs 178 crore
Total profit: Rs 93 crore
Worldwide admissions: 1.50 crore plus
Yield: 109%
Conclusion: blockbuster
