Shahid Kapoor- Shraddha Kapoor-starrer Batti Gul Meter Chalu had a low opening day as it collected Rs 6.25 crore net on day one. Yesterday was Muharram, which was a public holiday hence collections would have boosted by 20-30% so real value could be around Rs 5 crore net. The weekend will determine how the film fares. The film is directed by Shree Narayan Singh of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha fame.
The film delivers a mash-up of an activist tract, a love triangle and a courtroom drama. The first half portrays a love triangle between Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Divyendu Sharma. They are childhood buddies and now Shraddha wants to chose a partner between the two of them. She dates both of them for a week and and obviously this leads to friction between the friends. As the second half progresses, the films turns from a love triangle into activist tract.
The part where Divyendu Sharma’s character gets handed a Rs 54 lakh bill, and the outrage that follows is passably good. However, Shahid Kapoor’s fight for justice seems too overpowering and replete with dialogues that seem too unrealistic for a courtroom.
The songs too seem out of place, but at least, they give the viewer an opportunity to zone out of the contrived story line.