MUMBAI

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has voiced strong disappointment after Hollywood's The Conjuring: Last Rites significantly outperformed Bollywood's Baaghi 4 on their opening day in India. Both films premiered on Friday, with the English horror film, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, earning ₹17.5 crore. In contrast, the Tiger Shroff-starrer action flick, Baaghi 4, directed by A Harsha and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, collected only ₹12 crore.

Gupta expressed his disbelief on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Me in my 20's/30's could never imagine an English film outperforming a Hindi film. Today’s reality – An English horror film does double the business of a main stream Hindi action film. What changed???". He further criticised the "steady flow of action films from the west," suggesting it leaves "our best action stars... clutching unrealistic numbers".

Adding to his concerns, Gupta slammed the "Buy One Get One Free" ticket offer used for Baaghi 4's opening day, questioning the sustainability of such strategies for big-budget, big-star Indian films: "Why even make films?". This contrasting performance highlights a potential "uncomfortable truth" and a "wake-up call for Bollywood" regarding its mainstream appeal.