‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’ Box Office Review: Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor’s Romantic Drama Is an Outright Disaster in Opening Weekend – Here’s Why!

Vikrant Massey takes the lead in Santosh Singh’s romantic drama Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, inspired by a short story by Ruskin Bond. The film tells the tale of a love story that blossoms between a visually impaired musician and an actress who blindfolds herself as part of her method acting. Their unusual bond begins during a train journey to Mussoorie, and the romance that follows eventually takes them as far as Georgia. ‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’ Movie Review: Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey’s Blindfolded Romance Loses Sight of Its Emotional Connect!

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan also marks the big screen debut of Shanaya Kapoor - the daughter of actor Sanjay Kapoor - who had long been striving to land a role in a theatrical release. However, given the lukewarm response from both critics and audiences, this may not have been the debut she had hoped for, though she wasn’t bad in the film.

First Weekend Performance of 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan'

Released in cinemas on July 11, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan faced stiff competition from two major films - Bollywood’s Maalik and Hollywood’s Superman. Unfortunately, it performed the weakest among the three, while the others raced ahead at the box office.

According to Sacnilk, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan netted just INR 1.23 crore over its opening weekend. In comparison, Maalik netted INR 14.25 crore in the same period, while Superman outperformed both, earning INR 26 crore in India.

Why 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Had a Weak Start

There are several reasons for the film’s disappointing performance. For one, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan lacked major box office draws. While Vikrant Massey delivered a sleeper hit with last year’s 12th Fail, one successful film doesn’t automatically translate into bankability. Shanaya Kapoor, meanwhile, is a complete newcomer.

Watch the Trailer of 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan':

Secondly, as a romantic drama, music was a critical element. Although the songs composed by Vishal Mishra were pleasant, they failed to top the charts or create much buzz. The trailers, too, weren’t compelling enough to pull crowds into theatres. ‘Maalik’ Box Office Review: Rajkummar Rao’s Gangster Drama Opens With INR 14.25 Crore in First Weekend – Hit or Flop?

The film also suffered due to a delayed opening of ticket bookings, which only began on the evening of July 9. In contrast, both Maalik and Superman opened bookings earlier and generated stronger pre-release hype. Releasing alongside a Hollywood superhero franchise and a Hindi-language action film also worked against it, especially since another romantic drama, Metro... In Dino, released just a week earlier, had already tapped into the genre’s core audience.

Finally, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan might still have stood a chance had the film garnered strong critical acclaim. Sadly, that too was missing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 14, 2025 07:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).