'Theatres are going empty everywhere': Divya Khosla Kumar accuses Alia Bhatt of reporting false collection numbers for Jigra

Alia Bhatt and newcomer Vedang Raina's Jigra released in theatres this Friday. The film is about a brother-sister duo and received mixed reviews. The film, as per reports, collected around Rs 4 crore on its opening day. However, according to actress Divya Khosla Kumar, the collection figures are inflated.

Kumar has alleged in a social media post that the Vasan Bala directorial is witnessing empty theatres and the collection figures reported are wrong. Khosla took to Instagram to call out Bhatt, claiming that she purchased tickets for her own film and falsely reported higher earnings to the public.

Sharing a picture of an empty cinema hall on her Instagram Stories, Khosla wrote, “Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty… all theatres going empty everywhere.”

She further alleged, “#Aliabhatt me sach mein bahut #Jigra hai.. khud hi tickets karide aur fake collections announce kar diye. Wonder why paid media is silent. #weshdnotfooltheaudience #truthoverlies #HappyDussehra.”

According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Jigra earned Rs 4.55 crore on its opening day, which fell short of expectations. While urban centres contributed significantly to the earnings, the film struggled to attract audiences from mass-market regions. Despite the lukewarm start, Adarsh noted that the Dussehra holiday might help boost the film’s performance over the weekend.

“Jigra opens to lower-than-expected numbers, with a significant contribution from urban centres dominating Day 1. The response from mass pockets is ordinary/lukewarm… The Dussehra holiday should help offset the initial shortfall,” Adarsh wrote.

The film also faced stiff competition at the box office, clashing with Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, which stars Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri. Rao’s film outperformed Jigra, collecting Rs 5.71 crore on its opening day.

Jigra marks one of Alia Bhatt’s lowest opening weekends since her 2014 film Highway, despite her star power. The film revolves around a sister’s perilous journey to save her brother, with a recreated version of the classic song “Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka” featured in the teaser.

Produced by Dharma Productions and Viacom18 Studios, the film is co-written by Debashish Irengbam and Vasan Bala. However, the unexpected controversy and box office numbers have put a damper on what was anticipated to be one of Bhatt’s major releases of the year.

As the box office results roll in, Monday’s figures are expected to provide a clearer indication of whether Jigra can recover from its slow start.