
John Abraham's new thriller, "The Diplomat," has completed its opening weekend with a haul of ₹13.30 crore.
The movie, depicting a thrilling tale of a diplomat's risky mission, collected ₹4 crore on the opening day, ₹4.65 crore on the second day, and ₹4.65 crore on the third day.
In spite of these numbers, "The Diplomat" has tough competition from "Chhaava," a historical drama featuring Vicky Kaushal as Maratha leader Chhatrapati Shambhaji Maharaj. "Chhaava" sustains its excellent box office show, grossing ₹6.81 crore on day 31 and reaching its total domestic collection of ₹561.46 crore. The ongoing popularity of the movie has eclipsed new movies such as "The Diplomat."
Critical reception to "The Diplomat" has been mixed. Whereas some critics appreciated John Abraham's acting as a suave diplomat, others faulted the storyline of the movie. A clip from the review in Hindustan Times reported, "What's with filmmakers obsessed with giving their protagonist a traumatic backstory? John's character here is constantly reminded of something terrible in his past—but it doesn't help."
Conversely, "Chhaava" has been highly praised for its script and performances, which have been the cause of its consistent box office collection. The box office success of the movie in attracting crowds even after thirty days of release shows its grip in the market.
In the coming days, "The Diplomat" will have to fight hard to maintain its box office stint. With the new releases and the continued success of "Chhaava," the film's performance in the next couple of weeks will be crucial. Producers and distributors will be keenly observing audience acceptance and box office trends to schedule promotional campaigns and theatre bookings.
In short, although "The Diplomat" has registered a moderate weekend box office collection, it lags behind the record-breaking success of "Chhaava." Whether these films succeed or fail in the coming weeks will chart their long-term fate.