Mumbai: Tejas, the latest film starring Kangana Ranaut as an Indian Air Force pilot, has failed to impress the critics and the audience alike. The film, which was released on October 27, 2023, on around 1300 screens across the country, has collected a meager Rs 1.25 crore on its first day, according to Sacknilk’s early box office report. The film had a low advance booking and faced a lukewarm response from the viewers.
Tejas is written and directed by Sarvesh Mevada and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. It is inspired by the landmark decision of 2016 when the Indian Air Force welcomed women into combat positions. Kangana Ranaut plays Tejas Gill, a brave and patriotic fighter pilot who embarks on a high-risk mission to rescue an Indian spy from a terrorist organization in Pakistan. The film also features Anshul Chauhan as her co-pilot Afia, Varun Mitra as her love interest Ekveer, Anuj Khurana as her friend Prashant, Vishakh Nair as her colleague Vivek, Ashish Vidyarthi as IAF chief R K Panicker, and others in supporting roles.
The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics, who have criticized its lackluster storyline, unrealistic action sequences, poor visual effects, and jingoistic tone. Some critics have also accused the film of being a propaganda vehicle for Kangana Ranaut’s political ambitions and personal views. The film has been praised for its music by Shashwat Sachdev and Kangana Ranaut’s performance as a fighter pilot.
Kangana Ranaut has promoted her film extensively on various platforms, including TV’s biggest reality show Bigg Boss. However, her efforts seem to have gone in vain as the film has failed to take off at the box office. The film is expected to perform better in the first weekend, but it faces tough competition from other releases like Dhamaka and Antim. It remains to be seen whether Tejas can recover its budget of Rs 20 crore³ and emerge as a profitable venture for its makers.
