Alia Bhatt’s Alpha, the first female-led film in Yash Raj Films’ ambitious Spy Universe, has completed its opening week in theatres with a respectable performance at the box office. Although the film hasn’t lived up to the sky-high expectations associated with the blockbuster franchise, it has managed to build a steady collection during its first seven days and is now on the verge of crossing the Rs 80 crore mark globally.
Directed by Shiv Rawail and backed by producer Aditya Chopra, Alpha marks a major milestone for the Spy Universe by putting two women Alia Bhatt and Sharvari at the center of a high-octane espionage story. The film generated significant buzz before release, especially because it expanded a franchise previously driven by superstars like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Hrithik Roshan.
The film opened in cinemas with a decent response, earning Rs 9.25 crore on its first day. While the opening wasn’t record-breaking, it reflected solid interest among audiences, particularly in multiplexes across major cities. Positive word-of-mouth over the weekend helped the collections grow steadily.
On Saturday, the film witnessed a healthy jump and collected Rs 11.50 crore, followed by its best single-day performance on Sunday with Rs 13.25 crore. By the end of the opening weekend, Alpha had accumulated Rs 34 crore net in India, giving the film a promising start despite mixed critical reviews.
Like most big-budget releases, the real test began on Monday. The collections dropped significantly to Rs 3.85 crore, which was expected after the weekend rush. However, the film surprised trade analysts on Tuesday by registering a slight increase instead of another decline. It collected Rs 4.25 crore, suggesting that audience interest had not completely faded and that weekday footfalls were holding up better than anticipated.
The momentum, however, slowed during the second half of the week. Reduced occupancy across theatres and a gradual decline in show counts affected the film’s earnings on Wednesday and Thursday. By the end of Day 7, Alpha added another Rs 5.45 crore over the final two weekdays, taking its total first-week India net collection to Rs 47.55 crore. Including taxes, the film’s domestic gross collection now stands at approximately Rs 56.66 crore.
While the domestic numbers may appear modest for a film mounted on a reported Rs 100 crore budget, overseas markets have provided a much-needed boost. International audiences have responded positively to the action thriller, helping it collect more than Rs 22 crore outside India.
Thanks to this overseas support, Alpha has ended its first week with a worldwide gross of Rs 79.21 crore, putting it just a step away from entering the prestigious Rs 80 crore club. The film has received mixed reactions from critics. While many praised its action sequences, visual scale, and performances by Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, others felt the screenplay and pacing could have been stronger. Despite the divided reviews, several industry personalities have voiced their support for the film.
Among them, filmmaker Karan Johar publicly defended Alpha against online criticism. He praised Alia Bhatt’s ability to draw audiences to theatres and encouraged moviegoers to experience the film on the big screen rather than judging it through social media conversations.
The coming days will be crucial for Alpha. The film enters its second week facing fresh competition from Dhamaal 4, which is expected to secure a large number of screens and attract family audiences. Reduced show counts could impact Alpha’s earnings, making its second weekend especially important.
If the film manages to maintain a steady hold despite the new release, it could comfortably cross the Rs 100 crore worldwide milestone in the coming days. However, a sharper-than-expected decline may make that journey more challenging.
For now, Alpha has delivered a decent first-week performance and proved that a female-led action thriller can hold its ground in one of Bollywood’s biggest cinematic franchises. Its long-term box office success will now depend on how well it sustains audience interest during the crucial second week.
