The Punjabi romantic drama Ishqan De Lekhe, starring Gurnam Bhullar, has shown a steady trend at the box office during its first week. Despite modest figures, the film has managed to build momentum through consistent growth.
In its first seven days, the film collected approximately ₹7.50 crore worldwide. Of this total, about ₹4.25 crore gross (₹3.60 crore nett) came from the domestic market in India, while the overseas market contributed roughly ₹3.25 crore (around USD 350,000).
Slow start but strong weekday trend
The film began its theatrical run on a relatively low note. On its opening day, it earned just over ₹40 lakh in India, while its worldwide opening stood at around ₹75 lakh.
However, collections improved over the weekend, and the film maintained steady performance during weekdays. By Thursday—the final day of the first week in India—the film was earning approximately ₹60 lakh, which is about 50% higher than its opening-day figure.
Performance beyond Punjab
One notable aspect of the film’s run has been its performance outside the traditional Punjabi film market. Smaller Punjabi releases usually depend heavily on Punjab, but Ishqan De Lekhe has reportedly found audiences in Delhi-NCR and Haryana as well.
Industry observers suggest that the film’s romantic drama genre may have helped attract viewers. In recent times, Punjabi cinema has largely been dominated by comedies, making this film stand out slightly from the usual lineup.
Another positive sign is its growth pattern, with day seven collections nearly three times higher than day one, indicating healthy word-of-mouth.
Crucial days ahead
Although the film was made on a relatively controlled budget, it still needs to earn more to comfortably recover its costs.
The current weekday trend provides a solid base for the second weekend. However, the film faces a challenge as the upcoming release Dhurandhar: The Revenge is expected to hit theatres soon, which could impact its screens.
If Ishqan De Lekhe continues to perform above the usual weekday trend, it could emerge as one of the few recent successes for Punjabi cinema, especially in the domestic market, which has experienced a slowdown in recent months.
