Udta Punjab has a successful weekend; earns Rs 33 crore

Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab was leaked on the internet two days before its release. There was a fear that this might affect the film's collections at the box office. However, it does not seem to have hampered the Shahid Kapoor-starrer as the film managed to earn a good Rs33 crore in the first weekend in India. This is the fifth biggest opening of the year so far. 

Udta Punjab started on a positive note on Friday by earning Rs10.05 crore. The collections kept gradually increasing in the next two days as it earned Rs11 crore and Rs12 crore, respectively, on Saturday and Sunday. In this way, the film has turned out to be Shahid Kapoor’s biggest opener ever. His previous best was R... Rajkumar, which collected around Rs30 crore on its first weekend. Udta Punjab's collection is even more creditable considering that the film has got an Adults Only certificate.

The film, which also stars Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh in lead roles, was reportedly made at a budget of Rs48 crore and is expected to recover the amount this week. What works further in the film's favour is that it is not likely to face any major competition at the ticket window till July 6 when Salman Khan’s Sultan releases, which is a good 17 days away.

However, Udta Punjab will face stiff competition in the state of Punjab this week when Diljit Dosanjh’s keenly awaited Sardaarji 2, sequel to his blockbuster Sardaarji, releases.