‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’ opens on such a homogenous, generic note – amidst celebrations during a big, fat Punjabi wedding that you’d never guess the unlikely direction it’s headed in. Unless that was exactly the point. opens on such a homogenous, generic note amidst celebrations during a big, fat Punjabi wedding that you’d never guess the unlikely direction it’s headed in. Unless that was exactly the point.
This week’s sole Bollywood release ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Tho Aisa Laga’ has earned Rs 3.30 crore on the day of its release. Co-written and directed by Shelly Chopra Dhar, the movie deals with a same-sex relationship and is pegged as ‘the most unexpected romance of the year.’
Sharing the collection of the Sonam Kapoor starrer, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “#EkLadkiKoDekhaTohAisaLaga had a lacklustre start, but picked up at select urban centres towards evening…
#EkLadkiKoDekhaTohAisaLaga had a lacklustre start, but picked up at select urban centres towards evening… Growth on Day 2 and Day 3 essential for a respectable weekend total… Fri ₹ 3.30 cr [1500 screens]. India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 2, 2019
Film trade analyst Girish Johar told indianexpress.com earlier, “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is a niche, high-end romantic drama with a twist. Now it remains to be seen if the audience will accept this twist or not. With a limited release, it will probably earn around Rs 2.5-3 crore on the day of its release.”
Despite being the solo Bollywood release, this film will face competition from holdovers, especially Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which is still doing well at the ticket window. Vicky Kaushal’s Uri: The Surgical Strike might also create problems for Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Aisa Laga.
Girish Johar also said, “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is toplined by Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and these are the actors who audience wants to see. And, it is coming from Vidhu Vinod Chopra, so I expect it to have quality content. It is looking quite decent but again the performance on the first weekend will be based entirely on word of mouth.”
He added, “The Anil Kapoor starrer will be the first choice of the audience. Uri is also going strong and people are going into repeat mode with it, so it all depends on how “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga” start off in the theaters. It has the potential to lead over the weekend but if it doesn’t match up to the standards then definitely other films will take over.”
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga received a mixed critical review from Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta. She concluded her review by saying, “The ensemble is solid, but neither Ahuja, who has been upping her game in her last few films, nor the usually dependable Rao, have the desired impact: at least he’s always trying something; I didn’t buy her at all. The two who stand out are Duhan as the brattish brother, and Cassandra, who shows spark. The rest get swept under the flaccid writing. What this film needed was more sharpness, more acuity, more honesty. It could then justifiably have been called ‘2019: A Love Story’.”
