Decoding the economics of Shaitaan: Ajay Devgn’s star budget, box office, verdict and more

Shaitaan, directed by Vikas Bahl and starring Ajay Devgn, is proving to be a big moneymaker for all stakeholders. The 15-day total of the psychological thriller, also starring R Madhavan, Jyothika and Janki Bodiwala, stands at Rs 118 crore and the film is heading towards a finish in the range of Rs 150 crore to secure the superhit verdict at he box office In India. The film released with minimal pre-release expectations and it is the trailer that changed the course of Shaitaan as far as theatrical prospects are concerned.

Team Shaitaan makes a profit of Rs 67 crore

On the foreign front, Shaitaan is heading towards a finish of between $4 million and $4.5 million (Rs 35 million), which means a global gross of Rs 210 million. Produced by Kumar Mangat, Shaitaan is one of those films that are financially secure from the start. The film was made on a budget of Rs 85 million (COP: Rs 65 million + PnA: Rs 20 million), and the makers recovered Rs 35 million as reimbursement from the UK government.

The overseas distribution rights were sold to Pen Marudhar for Rs 10 million, and the final share of the international belts will be around Rs 14 million, which will be a 40 per cent profit for Pen Marudhar. Shaitaan earned Rs 80 crore from Netflix, which is offset by Ajay Devgn Performance fees for the same amount. The satellite rights are held by Star Network at Rs 30 crore, while the music has been valued at Panorama at Rs 5 crore. It was a self-release in India by Panorama, and the lifetime distributor share will be around 67 crores.

In total, against an expenditure of Rs 165 crore (including Ajay Devgn’s fees), Shaitaan earned Rs 227 crore, which means a return on investment of almost 40 per cent. Shaitaan is a small psychological thriller, whose prospects were improved by the presence of a star like Ajay Devgn. It would have been difficult for the film to reach a century without Ajay Devgn, and that is the added value that a star will always bring to a feature film. This is a phenomenal result and a great start for Ajay towards 2024 as he is gearing up for the release of his next, Maidaan, on Eid 2024.

Here’s a look at Shaitaan’s economy:

Bills

Production cost: 65 million rupees

Ajay Devgn Fees: Rs 80 Crore

PnA: 20 crores

Total expenditure (A): Rs 165 crore

Revenue

Digital rights: 80 crores

India’s theatrical share: Rs 67 crore (expected)

UK Refund: Rs 35 million

Satellite rights: 30 crores

Overseas duties: Rs 10 million

Music: 5 crores

Total Revenue (B): Rs 227 million

Profit (BA): 62 million rupees

Return on investment: 40 percent

Verdict: Super success

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Note: Data compiled from our independent sources