Bandar box office collection day 1: Bobby Deol film, called Anurag Kashyap's best in years, opens at a mere ₹50 lakh

BAndar package power aggregation daytime 1: Anurag Kashyap's criminal offence thriller starring Bobby Deol in the lead role, finally released in theatres on June 4. The film faced tough competition from Varun Dhawan and David Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai and took a slow start at the box office.Bandar box office performanceAccording to Sacnilk, Bandar collected ₹50 lakh net in India on its opening day. The film did not have a wide release, releasing in a little over 300 screens across India, but it still had a low occupancy of just over 13%. While the numbers may not be disappointing for a niche, content-driven film, expectations were naturally higher given Bobby Deol's recent resurgence and growing popularity. The film also faced stiff competition at the box office from Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which opened to ₹7.50 crore and was released across 2500 screens on its first day.Bandar opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences, with many calling his performance one of the finest of his career and the film Anurag's best in years. The film has earned widespread praise for its storytelling and Bobby's portrayal, but it remains to be seen whether the strong word of mouth will translate into higher box-office collections in the coming days.Bobby's half-sister Esha Deol was also seen cheering for him at the film's special screening. She also penned a note urging the audience to catch the film in theatres and wrote, "You are in the best form ever! Undoubtedly the finest actor today. Enduring and vulnerable! Way to go, bhaiya."About BandarThe crime thriller written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee and directed by Anurag Kashap, is inspired by a real-life event. The film tells the story of Samar (Bobby Deol), a singer-actor whose career is on the decline. His life takes a shocking turn when he is suddenly arrested after a woman named Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi) files a rape complaint against him. What follows is a legal circus, with Samar, the 'bandar' forced to navigate one hurdle after another.The film also stars Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, Indrajith Sukumaran, Raj B. Shetty, and Jitendra Joshi in key roles. An excerpt from Hindustan Times review of the film reads, "Despite losing some momentum in the latter half, Bandar remains an engaging watch. It succeeds because it stays focused on the human cost of an accusation and the circus that follows. In an era where public opinion often arrives before the facts, the film feels timely and relevant."