"Mr. Bachchan," the latest film from Ravi Teja and Harish Shankar, was heavily promoted and had its release date announced with confidence for Independence Day.
Given the hype and marketing, industry experts anticipated a strong opening for both domestic and overseas markets.
However, the film disappointed producers and distributors with its underwhelming performance.
Over the entire weekend, "Mr. Bachchan" grossed approximately $105,000, a stark contrast to Ravi Teja's previous film, "Eagle," which earned $231,000 in its first weekend.
This dismal showing indicates that Harish Shankar's appeal in the U.S. market is not as strong as anticipated, despite his high-profile claims.
Similarly, Puri Jagannadh's films have struggled in the U.S. market unless led by a highly popular star.
For instance, Vijay Deverakonda's "Liger" managed nearly $500,000 on its opening day, but "iSmart Shankar," despite domestic success, did not perform well in the U.S.
The sequel, "Double iSmart," also faltered, collecting just $139,000, making it a larger flop compared to its predecessor in the North Indian market.
The Tamil film "Thangalaan" also underperformed, grossing $175,000 in its first weekend in the U.S.
In contrast, the biggest success of the weekend in the North Indian market was "Stree 2," a Bollywood hit that grossed an impressive $1.9 million.