Will Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani help Ranveer Singh score a hit after consecutive flops?

Ranveer Singh is gearing up for the release of his film Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. The first-look posters are finally out for this much-hyped Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer. While fans seem quite excited about the first-look posters, the question that looms large in the background is this: will Rocky Aur Rani Prem Kahani prove to be Ranveer Singh's big comeback after a string of unsuccessful ventures? 

Ranveer Singh and his recent run of box office duds

The critically acclaimed '83' failed to make much of a mark outside metro cities, despite an ensemble cast and well-received performances by the actors. The subject matter - India's maiden Cricket World Cup win under the captaincy of Kapil Dev - didn't resonate with the audience in a way that it was expected to. Additionally, Covid-19 restrictions were put back into place, which kept audiences away from theatres. The film came with a "big price tag and bigger expectations", tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh, putting the first 3-day box office collection of the film at ₹47 Cr in India.

(Image: Ranveer Singh in a scene from the film, 83. Credits: Ranveer Singh fan page/Twitter)

Jayeshbhai Jordar added to the woes

Similarly, Jayeshbhai Jordar failed to make a mark, despite being backed by Yash Raj Films and featuring a powerhouse cast of Ratna Pathak Shah and Boman Irani, apart from Ranveer Singh. Critics termed the film poor, with weak writing, amateurish goings-on and a screenplay of convenience. Analyst Ramesh Bala predicted the all-India net collections on Day 1 of the film to be ₹3 Cr only.

(Image: Ranveer Singh in one of the first looks of film Jayeshbhai Jordar. Courtesy: BollywoodFans/Twitter)

Cirkus made it three flops in a row

Cirkus was based on the popular 1982 Hindi film Angoor (which itself was a remake of 1968 Hindi film Do Dooni Chaar). Cirkus fell flat with its jokes, and critics pointed out that for a film that was marketed as a comedy, it wasn't really very funny. After setting high expectations with Simmba (2018) and Gully Boy (2019), Ranveer Singh let audiences down, with expert Taran Adarsh putting the 1st weekend collection of the film at ₹20.85 Cr only.

(A scene from the film Cirkus. Source: BollywoodFans/Twitter)

Will Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani seal Ranveer's fate, or give his career a fresh lease of life?

Hopes run high with Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. For starters, audiences have already seen, and presumably, enjoyed, the on-screen pairing of Ranveer and Alia, in the superhit Gully Boy. Thus one may reasonably expect Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani to receive  similar, positive reactions. A family-centric, rom-com theme may be another instrumental factor in the potential success of the film. Lastly, a  star-studded ensemble cast, featuring legends like Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, is expected to draw audiences to theatres.

 So, will the biggie be able to help Ranveer Singh score a much-needed hit? The answer will become clear when Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani opens in theatres on July 28.