'Udta Punjab' mints over Rs 30 crore in opening weekend

Mumbai: Director Abhishek Chaubey's crime drama film “Udta Punjab”, based on drug abuse in Punjab, minted Rs 33.80 crore in its opening weekend. The film, starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh in the lead, registered a hike in footfalls in theatres due to the strong word of mouth surrounding it, according to a statement issued by the makers. “Udta Punjab”, which released on June 17, minted Rs 10.05 crores on its opening day and saw a hike on Saturday and Sunday when it collected Rs 11.25 crore and Rs 12.50 crore respectively. The film has been co-produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, who went through their share of struggle in seeking a release certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The censor board first suggested as many as 89 cuts in the movie, and then the Revising Committee slashed it to 13 cuts. But the makers moved the Bombay High Court which overruled the CBFC-recommended cuts to the film and cleared it for release with just one cut and three disclaimers by the filmmakers. As a blow to the makers, a censor board copy of the film was leaked online two days prior to its release. However, given the hype surrounding the movie, trade pundits had said it was unlikely that its collections would be affected.