Zara Hatke Zara Bachke box office collection: Second-biggest opening for Vicky Kaushal

Directed by Laxman Utekar, ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ is a romantic-comedy starring Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal. The movie hit theatres on June 2 and it opened to a decent collection at the box office on the first day. The opening day collection for the comic-drama, which had a massive release with over 1500 screens across the country, stood at around 4-5 crore while a few trade analysts  estimated the net collections in the range of Rs 5.5-6 crore.

While ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ is the first Bollywood film to make its way to the theatres in June, it still faces tough competition against ‘The Kerala Story'.

The movie is expected to rake in around Rs 22-25 crore on its opening weekend based on current viewing trends, according to trade analysts. With this, Vicky Kaushal is going to see his second-biggest opening after 2019’s ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’.

One the other hand, Sara Ali Khan had seen bigger openings with movies like 2018’s ‘Simmba’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and ‘Kedarnath’.

 “This one is desi at heart, could spring a surprise at the Box Office. Could be lapped up by families due to its strong message towards the final moments,” wrote Indian film critic Taran Adarsh about the movie.

#OneWordReview...#ZaraHatkeZaraBachke: ENTERTAINING.
Rating: _______
This one is desi at heart, could spring a surprise at the #BO_ Could be lapped up by families due to its strong message towards the final moments.#ZHZB brings back memories of #Rajshri's #PiyaKaGhar [1972;_ pic.twitter.com/pqwMZhEbMP

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 2, 2023

Mixed Reviews

The highly promoted film disappoints with formulaic elements, lacking substance and impact. It follows the story of Kapil Dubey and Saumya Chawla, a married couple in Indore facing housing issues. They discover a government housing scheme with conditions, leading them to consider divorce for eligibility.

However, the film fails to effectively address the issue, not knowing whether to go fully in with the backdrop of issues with housing struggle or the romance between the two leads. The movie also struggles to balance comedy and romance, according to critics. The story lacks coherence, leaving unanswered questions. Supporting actors perform decently, but the overall execution is disappointing.

 “Relatable plot coupled with a melodious soundtrack and engrossing first hour are its strengths. Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan’s wonderful performances enhance the impact, despite ordinary writing at times,” added Adarsh in a review of the film.