The romantic drama ‘Gustaakh Ishq,’ featuring Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh in lead roles, opened in theaters on November 28th. Directed by Vibhu Puri, the film aims to evoke a strong sense of 1990s nostalgia through its narrative, which is steeped in poetry and classic romantic themes. The film’s opening day box office performance experienced a soft start, largely influenced by its direct clash with the much-hyped ‘Tere Ishk Mein,’ starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon.
Initial box office estimates place the opening day collection for ‘Gustaakh Ishq’ at around Rs 50 lakh. The overall Hindi occupancy across theaters was reported at 8.61%. While the film’s audience turnout remained steady through the day, there was a noticeable increase in occupancy during the night shows, which peaked at 20.96%.
In terms of regional performance, Surat emerged as the strongest market with an occupancy of 23.50%, followed by Chennai at 21%. Major urban centers like Mumbai recorded 10.75% occupancy, and Delhi-NCR saw 8%. Worldwide, the film’s first-day earnings are projected to be around Rs 60 lakh.
‘Gustaakh Ishq’ is distinguished by its impressive creative team, featuring music composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, lyrics contributed by Gulzar, sound designed by Resul Pookutty, and cinematography by Manush Nandan. The cast is further bolstered by the presence of Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi in pivotal roles. This film also marks the production debut of Manish Malhotra, who has articulated his passion for filmmaking and his intention to honor classic narratives through modern cinematic expression.