The makers have made a few changes to their film, taking into account some of the criticism the film received.
Published Aug 18, 2024 | 11:09 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 18, 2024 | 11:09 PM
'Mr Bachchan' is a Telugu remake of the 2018 Hindi film 'Raid'. (Supplied)
Confident in the buzz surrounding Mr Bachchan, the makers opted for paid premiere shows on 14 August, a day before its official release on 15 August. However, the film, directed by Harish Shankar and starring Ravi Teja, failed to replicate the success of their previous collaborations.
Despite a strong start with ₹5.3 crore earned from the first six shows, including premieres, the film saw a sharp decline, with collections falling to ₹1.1 crore on Day 2 and just ₹0.85 crore on Day 3.
Mr Bachchan faced criticism for diluting the original film, Raid, and the romantic subplot between Ravi Teja and newcomer Bhagyashri Borse. Although praised for its music and Ravi Teja’s mass appeal, the film struggled at the box office. Many fans have called on Ravi Teja to choose roles better suited to his stature.
The makers have made a few changes to their film, taking into account some of the criticism the film received.
Director Harish Shankar announced on his official X page that he has made changes to Mr Bachchan based on “constructive feedback”.
Ravi Teja and Bhagyashri Borse in a still from ‘Mr Bachchan’. (Supplied)
The revised prints, with some scenes trimmed, began screening on Friday night, and the filmmaker personally attended the updated version’s premiere at the newly inaugurated Vimal Theatre.
Mr Bachchan had a poor 18.25% occupancy on Saturday, marking it as one of Ravi Teja’s lowest-performing films recently. With the weekend and Raksha Bandhan approaching, it remains to be seen if the film’s performance will improve.
Mr Bachchan is a remake of the 2018 Hindi film, Raid and follows an honest Income Tax officer (played by Ravi Teja) who conducts a raid on MP Mutyam Jaggaiah’s house, with Bhagyashri Borse as his love interest Jikki and Jagapathi Babu as the MP.
“Mr Bachchan makes a mockery of Raid. Ravi Teja needs to reinvent himself and move beyond delivering the same performances with different hairstyles, blazers, and leading ladies half his age. Harish Shankar should take a moment to reflect on his choices and return with something sensible that does justice to his talent as a writer,” read our review.
Harish Shankar explained his choice to set Mr Bachchan in the 1980s rather than the present, saying, “I believe today’s era lacks excitement and mystery. Everything is too transparent. Imagine the tension when a boy’s girlfriend’s father answered the phone or the anticipation of meeting a friend at a café. Today, WhatsApp has taken away much of that thrill.”
Mr Bachchan delves into the harsh realities of corruption, spotlighting the income tax department’s efforts to seize illicit wealth. Inspired by real-life events, the Telugu film tackles contemporary issues while emphasising integrity and justice.
This film is Ravi Teja and Harish Shankar’s third collaboration, following Shock (2006) and Mirapakay (2011). Written by Ramesh Reddy, Sathish Vegesna, Praveen Varma, Dattatreya, and Tanvi Kesari, it also stars Sachin Khedekar in a significant role. The music is by Mickey J Meyer, with cinematography by Ayanaka Bose and editing by Ujwal Kulkarni.
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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