Sat Jan 18 21:23:53 UTC 2025: ## Star Kids’ Debut Flops: “Azaad” Makes Meager Box Office Showing

**MUMBAI** – Abhishek Kapoor’s period drama “Azaad,” marking the acting debuts of Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, opened to a disappointing Rs 1.5 crore on its first day, significantly underperforming compared to Kapoor’s previous launches of Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan. The film, heavily marketed with the support of the star kids’ influential families, saw abysmal occupancy rates, with morning shows registering only 5% and night shows reaching just 26%.

This pales in comparison to the opening day collections of Kapoor’s previous successes, “Kai Po Che” (Rs 4.5 crore) and “Kedarnath” (Rs 6.8 crore). Even his recent film, “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui,” although considered a disappointment, still outperformed “Azaad” considerably. The film’s poor reception is underscored by critical reviews, with one critic questioning its very existence in 2025.

“Azaad” shared its opening weekend with Kangana Ranaut’s “Emergency,” which also saw a weak debut at Rs 2.5 crore. The film’s underwhelming performance marks a significant setback for both the newcomers and director Kapoor.

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