Tu Yaa Main stumbled out of the gate on day one, clocking in a disappointing box office collection of just ₹60-70 lakhs. Honestly, nobody expected fireworks, but this is on the lower side even for a week packed with new releases. Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav’s survival thriller hit theatres on February 13, trying to compete with O Romeo, but neither film managed to get audiences excited.

You could feel the Valentine’s week clash wasn’t going to do any favours for either newcomer. O Romeo, with Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri leading the charge, was supposed to be the safer bet. But even that film started slow. Industry folks are calling it a Friday where two movies pretended to be big entertainers and the audience just didn’t buy it. Theatres looked half-empty, and the buzz online was pretty much the same: just not enough people cared.

Bejoy Nambiar’s Tu Yaa Main tries to do something different, a love story mixed with a crocodile and survival drama. Shanaya plays Avani, an influencer, while Adarsh is Maruti Kadam. Still, the advance bookings were flat and the pre-release hype never really caught fire. Even with Karan Johar calling it a “traumatising survival ride” and urging people to catch it on the big screen, the film couldn’t draw crowds. Word of mouth among young viewers was supposed to save the day, but opening numbers say otherwise. Marketing pushed the film as a crowd pleaser, but the ticket sales just didn’t follow.

Meanwhile, O Romeo had a wider release and better advance sales, thanks to Shahid Kapoor’s track record and Vishal Bhardwaj’s name. Expectations were higher, but even this combo couldn’t deliver the kind of numbers people hoped for. Two new releases on the same day split an already limited audience, especially for movies that aren’t part of a major holiday or big festival.

Right now, the box office is brutal. Audiences are being picky. With films like Mardaani 3 still holding their own in the second week, people are sticking to what’s tried and tested. Tu Yaa Main’s ₹60-70 lakh opening just puts a spotlight on how tough it is for small or mid-budget films to pull in big crowds when they try to go mainstream without offering something irresistible.

Trade analysts are already saying the real test starts over the weekend. If Tu Yaa Main can pull off a decent jump on Saturday, maybe there’s hope. But let’s be honest, the climb from such a low starting point is steep. The film now relies on great audience reviews and, ideally, some repeat viewings from younger moviegoers who are supposed to be its core audience.

Shanaya Kapoor’s second project was hyped up, but clearly, star power isn’t enough anymore. Adarsh Gourav, despite all his recent praise, couldn’t fill seats either. The clash with O Romeo just made things worse, splitting the urban, multiplex crowd both films needed.

Honestly, Bollywood’s seen this before, multiple releases cannibalize each other, and business gets diluted. This Valentine’s Day weekend? It’s shaping up to be a text-book case. O Romeo might edge ahead, but neither film looks set for a runaway hit. The real question is whether glowing reviews can change the story, or if Tu Yaa Main’s poor start signals a quick exit from theatres.

For now, the numbers say it all: Tu Yaa Main’s first-day collection sits at ₹60-70 lakhs, just as trade experts feared. All eyes are on Saturday to see if this survival thriller can, well, survive. If not, it’s going to be a tough, short ride at the box office.