Ae Dil Hai Mushkil or Shivaay: Who Will Win The Box Office Battle This Friday?

From a neutral perspective, box office battles are utterly fascinating. When two big-budgeted, highly marketed films open on the same day and fight for audiences' attention, it is a spectacle in itself. 

A great example of that is not a legendary clash some years back but a clash that will happen this Friday between Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Ajay Devgn's Shivaay. Why? you may ask. Why do two films which haven't even released become a great example for BO clashes. 

The answer isn't straightforward but it's simple when you think about it. These are two films which have two distinct fan bases, which are probably engaging in battles on social media as you read it. There is a definite and pretty burning animosity between Ajay Devgn and Karan Johar, which led to the infamous KRK bribery scandal. Also, it is a clash of two different kinds of cinema: one an entertaining, loved up affair and other more serious and not very family-friendly.

So the question remains who will dominate the BO when the gates of theatres are finally opened. To get some clarity, we need to assess a lot of factors. Let's get started then:

Number of screens

Both the films are releasing on nearly the same number of screens. According to reports that number is  between 2800 to 3000 screens. While Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has more screen share when it comes to  multiplexes, Shivaay has an edge in the single-screen theatres. 

Budget

It is important to ascertain what the budget of the movies are because only then you can calculate what the real profits are. So for these movies to be labelled a success, we need to keep their cost in minds.

Now, ADHM's budget is about Rs 70 crore, with an additional Rs 10-15 crore spent on promotions. Shivaay, on the other hand,  budget of Rs 105 crore with Rs 20 crore spent on promotions.  

So if Shivaay has to become a real success, it has to earn more than ADHM as its budget is more.

Controversy

Over the past month, ADHM has got entwined with controversy, which involved a few political forces opposing the film vehemently. This can cause some damage to the film's potential earnings. 

Expected Earnings

Both the movies are expected to earn above 10 crore on its first day. Going by response the film, the movies will earn in the range of 30- 45 crore. Going by that, the films will earn over 100 crore domestically. 

So, it will be a close competition but who will end up edging out the other remains to be seen.

See more: 15 Photos Of 'Shivaay' Actress Erika Kaar That Will Leave You Breathless!