October 16 saw the release of two distinct Hindi films — Prahaar, Rajkummar Rao starrer courtroom drama set against 26/11 attacks, and Yami Gautam Dhar starrer fantasy-comedy Nayyi Navelli. Defying all expectations, The Yami Gautam starrer has performed than the Rajkummar Rao film.

According to Sacnilk, Nayyi Navelli collected a nett figure of Rs 3.25 figures on Friday, surpassing the collections of Prahaar which managed to earn Rs 2.35 crores nett. In the overseas market, both films managed to garner exactly 0.75 crores. It is to be noted that Nayyi Navelli was playing at significantly more number of screens than Prahaar, which also likely added to the boost. The fantasy-comedy also perhaps benefitted from its mythological elements, considering the festive atmosphere of Dussehra. Among key centres, Prahaar expectedly performed better in Mumbai and Pune, while Nayyi Navelli’s highest occupancies came from Bengaluru.

What works in Prahaar’s favour is the largely positive reviews it received, in contrast to Nayyi Navelli which was met with lukewarm reviews across the board. In our review for the film, we noted, “Whatever little chance Nayyi Navelli had of salvaging itself, it completely quashes it out in the third act — a mythically mounted combat between the good and evil, which becomes a never-ending melange of action, mythology, and religion, a concoction that is more annoying than offensive to our sociopolitical radar.”

It remains to be seen whether either of the films will see a major hike over the weekend, which is a must-have to ensure a long run at the box office. While Nayyi Navelli is reportedly made on a budget of Rs 50 crores, Prahaar was mounted at Rs 60 crores.