John Abraham’s latest film, The Diplomat, hit theatres on the Holi holiday and had a decent start, collecting Rs 4 crore on its opening day, as per Sacnilk. This figure is in line with his recent releases like Vedaa, Satyameva Jayate 2, and Pagalpanti. Directed by Shivam Nair, Vedaa saw John stepping out of his usual action-packed roles, offering a fresh take on his acting range. While he acknowledges audience expectations, his efforts to diversify have been well received. The Diplomat’s opening suggests that John’s solo films are still drawing audiences, though not at the scale of his past blockbusters. With a well-timed release on Holi, the film could gain momentum over the weekend.
Comparing openings, The Diplomat matched Vedaa but performed better than Satyameva Jayate 2 (Rs 3.2 crore), Attack – Part 1 (Rs 3.8 crore), and Mumbai Saga (Rs 2.8 crore). However, it fell short of Vedaa (Rs 6 crore) and Ek Villain Returns (Rs 7 crore), both of which, despite stronger starts, struggled at the box office. John’s biggest opening in recent years came from Pathaan, where he played the antagonist, contributing to its Rs 57 crore day-one collection.
His last solo blockbuster opening was Satyameva Jayate in 2018, which earned Rs 19 crore. Among his other notable films, Romeo Akbar Walter debuted at Rs 5.3 crore, Batla House at Rs 14 crore, Parmanu at Rs 4.8 crore, and Madras Cafe at Rs 5.2 crore. Given that Madras Cafe released 12 years ago, The Diplomat was expected to open stronger.
On its first day, the film had a 20% overall occupancy, with evening and night shows seeing 28% and 26% occupancy, respectively. Since Holi celebrations likely kept family audiences busy in the morning, the film could see a jump in collections over the weekend. With a mixed-to-positive reception, The Diplomat is competing with Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava and will need to perform well before Salman Khan’s Sikandar arrives by Eid.
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