Ek Villain Returns Box Office: Arjun Kapoor-John Abraham starrer is 'housefull'

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MUMBAI: Mohit Suri's latest directorial 'Ek Villain Returns', starring Arjun Kapoor, John Abraham, Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria, has collected Rs 24 crore at the Box Office in its opening weekend, the makers said on Monday (August 1). The action-thriller is produced by Balaji Telefilms and T-Series and released in cinemas on July 29. In a media statement, the T-Series said, "The audience has spoken, there's no stopping the love for #EkVillainReturns at the box office, with a massive Rs 23.54 cr. Total weekend number."

It is to be noted that the film's Box Office performance is quite surprised given that it received mostly negative reviews from the critics. The film is receiving love from the audience as the overall collections have plummeted in recent times.  

On the other hand, Ranbir Kapoor's 'Shamshera', which was released in cinemas on July 22, has already been declared a disaster on the ticket windows. The YRF film stands with a net collection of Rs 40 crore, which is way below its estimated budget of Rs 150 crore. The film has all but tanked completely with less than Rs 3 crore on day four. Now, it is to be seen if Arjun Kapoor-John Abraham's psychological thriller succeeds in leaving Ranbir Kapoor-Sanjay Dutt's period dacoit-drama behind in terms of collections. 

"Ek Villain Returns" raised Rs 7.05 crore at the ticket window on the day of its release, followed by Rs 7.47 crore on day two. According to the makers, it earned Rs 9.02 crore on day three, taking its box office total to Rs 23.54 crore.

#EkVillainReturns shows an upward trend on Day 3, thus clocking a decent weekend... Mass pockets driving its biz... Mon - Thu biz crucial, the trend will give an idea of its lifetime biz... Fri 7.05 cr, Sat 7.47 cr, Sun 9.02 cr. Total: ₹ 23.54 cr. #India biz. pic.twitter.com/u7hOH8QbO3 — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) August 1, 2022

'Ek Villain Returns' is the sequel to the 2014 hit film 'Ek Villain', which starred Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh. The second installment features Riteish Deshmukh and Badshah in pivotal roles. It is to be noted that Aditya Roy Kapur was originally signed for the role portrayed by Arjun Kapoor, but later backed out due to creative differences and had a fallout with director Mohit Suri.

Seeing the audience's positive response, an elated Arjun said, "The fact that 'Ek Villain Returns' opening is the fifth biggest of my career, even while the industry tries to bounce back post-pandemic, is extremely validating. I have consistently tried to do films that connect to the youth and the masses and it feels great to see them enjoy 'Ek Villain Returns'. I'm thrilled with the start that the film has got and I'm sure it will continue its momentum in the days to come."