The first month of the year continues to be a tough nut to crack for Bollywood with 2025 releases ‘Fateh’ and ‘Game Changer’ missing the mark. Despite hefty budgets and extensive marketing campaigns both movies faltered at the box office. The post-festive season blues, jam-packed schedules and the audience’s hesitation to take risks have historically made January a difficult month for movie releases. Sonu Sood’s ‘Fateh’ which hit theaters on January 10th witnessed a lackluster opening raking in just Rs 6.60 crore in its first three days – quite underwhelming given the promotional blitz and Sood’s pandemic heroism. ‘Game Changer’ on the other hand, managed to garner Rs 89 crore in its opening weekend, a figure that although substantial, paled when set against its colossal Rs 300 crore production cost. The movie needed to keep the momentum going for several weeks to even break even or even turn a profit. A few exceptions like ‘Guru’ (2007), ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ (2019) and ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ (2020), the January jinx over Bollywood remains unbroken.
