Are we witnessing yet another Bollywood remake heading for the 'flop' tag? Shahid Kapoor’s performance in Deva as a morally ambiguous cop has earned praise from critics and fans alike, but the film has failed to gain the expected traction in theatres. The Hindi remake of the Malayalam hit Mumbai Police, directed by Rosshan Andrrews (who also helmed the original), hit theatres on January 31, 2025. Deva also stars Pooja Hegde, Pavail Gulati, and Pravesh Rana. ‘Deva’ Movie Review: A Watered Down Remake of Rosshan Andrrews’ ‘Mumbai Police’ Almost Redeemed by an Impressive Shahid Kapoor.

The thriller managed to collect INR 19.15 crore in India during its opening weekend (according to Sacnilk). This is a rather underwhelming performance for a Shahid Kapoor-starrer, especially considering it faced no major competition at the box office. The makers of Deva claim the film has grossed INR 34.01 crore worldwide.

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Looking solely at domestic collections, several of Shahid Kapoor’s previous films have outperformed Deva in their opening weekends. ‘Deva’: From Pooja Hegde’s Character to That Big Twist, 7 Key Changes in Shahid Kapoor’s Remake of Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Mumbai Police’.

Below is a list of his films with better opening weekend figures in India (arranged in ascending order):

10. Mausam - INR 20.75 crore

9. Phata Poster Nikhla Hero - INR 21.25 crore

8. Batti Gul Meter Chalu - INR 22.15 crore

7. Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya - INR 26.52 crore

6. Haider - INR 26.78 crore

5. R… Rajkumar - INR 30.59 crore

4. Shaandaar - INR 33.51 crore

3. Udta Punjab - INR 33.80 crore

2. Kabir Singh - INR 70.83 crore

1. Padmaavat - INR 114 crore

The Budget of 'Deva'

While there are no confirmed reports, some sources suggest that Deva was made on a budget of INR 80 crore. If we consider this only as the production cost, the film would need to net over INR 100 crore to achieve hit status. As of now, this seems challenging, particularly with upcoming releases like Loveyapa and Badass Ravikumar set to hit theatres soon.

The 'Remake' Curse of Bollywood

Once upon a time, remakes of South Indian and Hollywood films thrived in Bollywood. However, in the post-pandemic era, many have struggled at the box office. Except for Shaitaan (a remake of the Gujarati film Vash), most Bollywood remakes have failed, with glaring examples including Radhe, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Selfiee, Sarfira, Bachchan Pandey, Shehzada, Vikram Vedha, and most recently, Baby John. With Deva underperforming in its opening weekend, one has to wonder - has Shahid Kapoor’s latest film fallen victim to the dreaded ‘remake curse’?

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 03, 2025 11:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).