Romantic dramas may be back on the big screen, but sustaining momentum at the box office is proving tougher than ever. Chand Mera Dil, starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya, saw a slight jump in collections
over its opening weekend, though the film is still struggling to find strong footing in theatres.
Directed by Vivek Soni, the film released on May 22 and opened to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Despite the modest growth on Sunday, the romantic drama wrapped up its first weekend with a total India net collection of ₹11.10 crore.
According to trade website Sacnilk, Chand Mera Dil earned ₹4.35 crore on Sunday. The numbers showed minor growth from Saturday’s ₹3.75 crore collection. On its opening day, the film had collected ₹3 crore. So far, the movie’s total India gross stands at ₹12.94 crore.
Also Read:Chand Mera Dil Box Office Day 2: Lakshya-Ananya Romance Picks Up Slightly, Earns Rs 3.65 Crore
The film’s performance has fallen behind last year’s blockbuster romantic drama Saiyaara, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, which had a record-breaking theatrical run and eventually became the highest-grossing romantic film in Indian cinema.
However, Chand Mera Dil is still performing better than Ek Din, featuring Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi. The film had earned ₹1.07 crore on its first Sunday. Interestingly, Ananya’s previous release, Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, had registered a higher first Sunday collection of ₹5.5 crore.
Backed by Dharma Productions, the film has been produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra and Marijke deSouza. The screenplay has been written by Tushar Paranjape and Vivek Soni, while the dialogues are by Akshat Ghildial, Tushar Paranjape and Vivek Soni.
Set against the backdrop of Hyderabad, the story follows two college students who fall in love before an unplanned pregnancy changes the course of their lives. As the relationship evolves into marriage, emotional strain and unresolved frustrations begin to take over. A violent argument eventually becomes a defining moment in the narrative.
The film also marks the first feature-film pairing of Ananya Panday and Lakshya, although the two have previously shared screen space in advertisements. Interestingly, this is only Lakshya’s third project after transitioning from television to films. He was last seen in The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, created by Aryan Khan.
A review by CNN-News18 Showsha reflected on the emotionally turbulent tone of the film and its visual storytelling. It read, “Much like marriages and relationships themselves, the film thrives on chaos and contradiction. Watch out for the final stretch between the protagonists. The lighting feels turbulent, the backdrop restless and several shots intentionally drift out of focus, creating a visual texture that mirrors the emotional instability of the characters.”
The review further noted, “The film embraces the exhausting and intricate back-and-forth that defines intimate relationships. The protagonists repeatedly break down before each other – crying, screaming and emotionally unravelling – in sequences that feel messy, chaotic and deeply heartbreaking. What makes these moments land is that the actors appear completely unconcerned with looking aesthetically perfect on screen. They shed vanity and inhibition, surrendering fully to the vulnerability of the moment.”
