The YRF Spy Universe, once considered one of Bollywood's most reliable box office franchises, is staring at an uncomfortable reality with Alpha. The Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh starrer collected roughly two crore on its seventh day, July 9, taking its total first-week domestic haul to approximately 46.88 crore. For a film carrying the weight of this expansive spy franchise, backed by a starry ensemble and a reportedly massive budget, falling short of even the 50 crore mark in seven days is a sobering outcome that few would have predicted going into release.
Alpha hit theatres on July 3 amid considerable anticipation, given that it marked Alia Bhatt's entry into the Spy Universe alongside relative newcomer Sharvari Wagh, who had earlier impressed audiences in Vedaa and Munjya. The film opened its weekend with 34 crore, a number that already felt underwhelming when weighed against the promotional push and the pedigree of the franchise that gave audiences blockbusters like War, Pathaan, and Tiger Zinda Hai. What followed was a steady, largely uninterrupted decline through the weekdays, with collections shrinking day after day and no significant weekday bump to suggest positive word of mouth was kicking in.
The mixed critical reception that greeted Alpha upon release appears to have played a role in this trajectory. Unlike previous Spy Universe entries that built momentum through repeat viewership and strong buzz, Alpha seems to have struggled to hold audience interest beyond its opening days. This makes its first-week total the weakest of any film in the Spy Universe to date, a franchise that has otherwise been synonymous with box office dominance in Hindi cinema over the past decade.
The film's cast list reads impressively on paper. Bobby Deol takes on the antagonist role of Fateh, pitting himself against the espionage duo played by Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh. Adding further star power, Anil Kapoor features in a key role, while Hrithik Roshan makes a special appearance reprising his War character, Kabir Dhaliwal, offering fans a direct crossover moment within the universe. Despite this considerable star wattage, none of it has been enough to keep footfalls steady at the box office.
Complicating matters further, the comedy film Dhamaal 4 released on July 10, right as Alpha entered its second weekend. Early trade indicators suggest that Dhamaal 4 is drawing stronger interest, which is likely to eat into whatever screen count and audience attention Alpha still commands. With competition intensifying and its own momentum fading, the film's theatrical journey appears to be heading toward an early exit.
Alpha is expected to eventually make its way to Netflix once its theatrical run concludes, and given the scale of investment behind it, the streaming release could prove more lucrative than its cinema run. For now, trade analysts and industry watchers are keeping a close eye on how the second weekend numbers shape up, as the film navigates what has already become a difficult chapter for the Spy Universe brand.
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