Farhan Akhtar’s latest release, 120 Bahadur, opened to a modest Rs 2.35 crore on Day 1, marking yet another underwhelming start for the actor at the box office. With this, 120 Bahadur fails to surpass the Day 1 figure of his 2019 drama The Sky Is Pink, which had collected Rs 2.50 crore, despite being a niche, content-driven film that targeted a limited audience segment.This places 120 Bahadur as Farhan’s sixth film to open under the Rs 3 crore mark, further highlighting his inconsistent record when it comes to strong first-day performances. Only a few of his films, such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Dil Dhadakne Do, managed to register impactful openings. The rest have struggled to take off, despite Farhan’s credibility as both an actor and filmmaker.A look at Farhan’s opening day history paints a clearer picture. Films like Rock On!! (Rs 1.66 crore), Luck By Chance (Rs 1.72 crore), Rock On!! 2 (Rs 2.02 crore), Lucknow Central (Rs 2.04 crore), Karthik Calling Karthik (Rs 2.20 crore), and The Sky Is Pink (Rs 2.50 crore) all fall below the Rs 3-crore barrier. With 120 Bahadur joining this list at Rs 2.35 crore, the pattern continues: Farhan’s audience pull on Day 1 has remained limited whenever the film is not part of a high-profile ensemble or backed by massive promotional momentum.In contrast, his biggest commercial successes opened significantly stronger. Dil Dhadakne Do delivered a solid Rs 10.53 crore, followed by Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at Rs 8.65 crore, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with Rs 8 crore. These films benefitted from star-studded casts, strong marketing, and universal appeal-factors that 120 Bahadur lacked in its pre-release campaign.Trade notes that while 120 Bahadur had potential due to its patriotic theme and Farhan’s action-oriented transformation, the lukewarm buzz and limited promotional push and mixed to bad reviews ultimately affected its opening. Whether strong word-of-mouth can help the film grow over the weekend remains to be seen.
