Shahid Kapoor’s latest release, Deva, is showing signs of life at the box office, but it’s still not quite hitting the mark. After a lukewarm opening day, the film saw a modest bump in collections on its second day, giving the makers a sliver of hope that Sunday might bring better numbers. But even with this slight improvement, Deva is trailing behind not just Shahid’s blockbuster hits like Kabir Singh, but also underperformers like Batti Gul Meter Chalu.
Day 2 Collections Show a Modest Rise
On Saturday, Deva managed to rake in ₹6.42 crore in India, marking a 16.73% increase from its first-day earnings of ₹5.5 crore. This brings the film’s domestic total to ₹11.92 crore, according to early estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk. While any growth is good news, these numbers are still underwhelming given the pre-release buzz around the film.
For some context, Zee Studios reported that the film’s first-day net box office collection (NBOC) stood slightly higher at ₹5.78 crore. Factoring in the global numbers, the domestic gross box office collection (GBOC) hit ₹6.82 crore, and the overseas GBOC added another ₹3.49 crore, pushing Deva past the ₹10.3 crore global gross mark on its opening day.
How Does Deva Stack Up Against Shahid’s Other Films?
When comparing Deva to Shahid’s past projects, the numbers tell a mixed story. On the bright side, its two-day collection is better than the actor’s sports drama Jersey, which earned ₹3.1 crore and ₹4.1 crore on its first two days, respectively. But that’s where the good news ends.
Deva is nowhere near Shahid’s recent successes like Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which pulled in ₹6.7 crore on day one and ₹9.65 crore on day two, or his massive hit Kabir Singh, which boasted a whopping ₹20.21 crore and ₹22.71 crore over the same period. Even more concerning is that Deva is lagging behind Batti Gul Meter Chalu, which despite being a box office flop, still managed to earn ₹6.76 crore and ₹7.96 crore on its first two days.
Competition and Occupancy Rates
One might think that a film with Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde in the lead, coupled with an action-packed storyline, would dominate the box office. But Deva is facing stiff competition, even from films that have been out for a while. For instance, Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya’s Sky Force, now in its second week, still managed to bring in ₹5 crore on Saturday—just a hair less than Deva‘s second-day collection.
Occupancy rates paint a clearer picture of Deva‘s struggle. On Saturday, the film recorded an overall occupancy rate of just 13.07% in the Hindi-speaking markets. Morning shows saw a dismal 5.84% occupancy, though things did pick up slightly as the day went on—rising to 11.28% in the afternoon, 14.20% in the evening, and peaking at 20.96% during the night shows. While this upward trend is encouraging, it’s not exactly the box office domination the filmmakers were hoping for.
Can Sunday Save the Day?
The big question now is whether Deva can turn things around on Sunday. Weekends are usually when films see their biggest bumps, especially with positive word-of-mouth. But in Deva’s case, it’s unclear if the current buzz is strong enough to pull in large crowds. The film had a lot going for it—Shahid’s star power, a popular co-star in Pooja Hegde, and a genre that usually draws in audiences. Yet, it seems to be missing that special spark needed to really ignite ticket sales.
If Deva can maintain its momentum or even see a significant spike on Sunday, it might still have a fighting chance to recover some ground. But if it continues on this slow trajectory, it risks becoming another forgettable entry in Shahid Kapoor’s filmography.
Final Thoughts
While Deva has managed to cross the ₹10 crore mark in just two days, its performance is far from stellar. Compared to Shahid Kapoor’s past hits, it’s lagging behind significantly, even falling short of films that didn’t perform well at the box office. With modest gains on Saturday and an uphill battle ahead, the film’s fate will largely depend on how it performs on Sunday and whether it can sustain any momentum in the coming weeks.
For now, Deva stands as a reminder that even with big names and high expectations, box office success is never guaranteed.
