Bollywood
Main Vaapas Aaunga Third Saturday Catches Up With Cocktail 2's Second Saturday Collection At India Box Office
BY SUNIT JANGIR
Mumbai, June 28 - In one of the most surprising box office developments of the season, period romantic drama Main Vaapas Aaunga has emerged as a genuine word-of-mouth success story. The Imtiaz Ali directorial managed to achieve a rare milestone by catching up with Cocktail 2 on a crucial Saturday comparison despite starting its theatrical run on a much smaller scale. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) According to early trade estimates, Main Vaapas Aaunga collected around 4.25 crore net with an excellent jump of +54% from Friday on its third Saturday (Day 16). The film almost matched its second Saturday collection of 4.35 crores net, which speaks a lot about its growing word of mouth. After the third Saturday, the total Indian collection of the movie has reached around 41.75 crores net, heading towards the 50 crore milestone, which looked like a far cry when the movie started. Meanwhile, Maddock Film's Cocktail 2 minted 4.25-4.35 crores net on its second Saturday, which is almost identical to Main Vaapas Aaunga's third Saturday. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the massive difference in the opening numbers of the two films. Cocktail 2, starring Shahid Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Kriti Sanon, opened strongly with 13.50 crore on Day 1. In contrast, Main Vaapas Aaunga had a modest opening of 1.15 crore. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Despite the huge initial gap, Main Vaapas Aaunga has shown exceptional growth week after week. The film has benefited heavily from strong audience appreciation, positive social media buzz, and glowing word of mouth. Instead of slowing down after its first week, the film witnessed upward momentum in its second and third weekends — a rare phenomenon in today's theatrical market. The film's emotional storytelling and Imtiaz Ali's direction have connected deeply with audiences, resulting in sustained occupancy across multiplexes and urban centres. The Diljit Dosanjh-starrer has now become one of the most talked-about sleeper successes of the year. Meanwhile, Cocktail 2 continues to remain the bigger grosser overall, having scored around 79 crores net after 9 days. However, the latest Saturday trend indicates that Main Vaapas Aaunga currently has stronger momentum and audience retention. With both films continuing their theatrical runs amid fresh competition from new releases, the coming week will determine whether Main Vaapas Aaunga can maintain its dream run at the box office.