Hyderabad: Vivek Agnihotri's film, which delves into the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and honors the efforts of scientists and Covid warriors, experienced a lackluster start at the box office. Despite garnering positive reviews and generating significant buzz, the movie struggled, primarily due to tough competition from Chandramukhi 2 and Fukrey 3.
On its opening day, the film managed to earn only Rs 1.3 crore in theaters, as per initial estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk. The Vaccine War faced direct competition from Fukrey 3 and Kangana Ranaut's Chandramukhi 2, both of which outperformed Vivek's directorial at the box office. The Vaccine War had a mere 10.17 percent occupancy for its Hindi showings on Thursday. The Vaccine War is reportedly made on a budget of approximately Rs 10 crore.
The Vaccine War centers on the challenges faced by scientists during the COVID-19 vaccine development process and pays tribute to the unsung heroes of the pandemic. The star-studded cast includes Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Anupam Kher, Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Sapthami Gowda, and Mohan Kapur.
Earlier, director Vivek Agnihotri, when discussing the film, emphasized its focus on India's achievements and self-reliance, as well as its role in providing global leadership in science. He also hinted at shedding light on those who may pose a threat to India, stating, "If you want to know who are the enemies of India, who is trying to sell India, then now you will get the answer in The Vaccine War."