“Alpha” Opens Below Expectations, “Baby Do Die Do” Stumbles at Box Office

Yash Raj Films’ latest addition to its spy universe, “Alpha,” opened to ₹9.25 crore net in India on its first day — an opening being described as underwhelming given the film’s big budget and the spy universe’s track record. Meanwhile, Huma Qureshi’s action thriller “Baby Do Die Do,” despite earning critical praise, failed to draw audiences to theatres, collecting just ₹40 lakh net on day one.
Yash Raj Films launched its successful spy universe in 2012 with “Ek Tha Tiger,” followed by blockbusters such as “Tiger Zinda Hai,” “War,” and “Pathaan,” which took the franchise to new heights. However, after “Pathaan,” the modest performance of “Tiger 3” and the box-office failure of “War 2” noticeably slowed the franchise’s momentum — an effect now visible in “Alpha’s” opening as well.
Directed by Shiv Rawail, the action-spy film stars Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol in lead roles. The film secured decent advance bookings and saw good attendance in morning shows, but overall failed to achieve the opening expected of it.
According to trade reports, “Alpha” earned ₹9.25 crore net in India on day one, with an India gross collection of ₹11.10 crore. Overseas, the film did business of around ₹5 crore, taking its worldwide day-one gross to ₹16.10 crore. While this is considered a reasonable start for a female-led action film, trade experts are calling it a weak opening given the spy universe’s big budget and brand value. Trade circles believe that had “War 2” been a bigger box-office success, “Alpha” could have had a much stronger start.
Meanwhile, Huma Qureshi’s action thriller “Baby Do Die Do,” released the same week, also failed to make a notable start at the box office. The film, co-starring Rajeet Singh, received a positive response from critics, who praised its story, Huma’s performance, and its action sequences. Despite this, favorable reviews failed to draw audiences to the ticket window. Latest trade figures show “Baby Do Die Do” collected just ₹40 lakh net and around ₹48 lakh gross in India on day one — ranked among the weakest openings of the year.
Trade analysts say the film will need a significant jump in collections over the weekend, or its box-office recovery could prove extremely difficult. For “Alpha” too, the real test now lies in its Saturday and Sunday numbers, as its future performance will depend entirely on positive word of mouth and audience response.