{"id":445,"date":"2026-10-04T19:06:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T19:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saiyaaramovie.com\/apoorv-singh-karki-directs-prem-keetanu-a-remake-that-struggles-at-the-box-office\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T19:25:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T19:25:58","slug":"apoorv-singh-karki-directs-prem-keetanu-a-remake-that-struggles-at-the-box-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saiyaaramovie.com\/?p=445","title":{"rendered":"Apoorv Singh Karki Directs Prem Keetanu, a Remake That Struggles at the Box Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

Director Apoorv Singh Karki’s latest film, Prem Keetanu, was released in theaters on October 2, 2026. The romantic comedy is a Hindi remake of the 2024 Malayalam hit Premalu.<\/p>\n

Prem Keetanu stars Veer Pahariya, Aafiya Sayed, and Aparshakti Khurana in lead roles. The film was produced by Gaurav Verma under the banner Avanika Films.<\/p>\n

Karki is known for his previous work on the courtroom drama Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and the popular streaming series Aspirants.<\/p>\n

A Difficult Opening Weekend<\/h2>\n

Prem Keetanu faced a challenging start at the box office. On its opening day, the film collected only 0.5 crore across 1,800 shows, with an occupancy rate of 12 percent.<\/p>\n

The film released on the same day as Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3, which dominated the box office. The competition severely limited Prem Keetanu’s audience.<\/p>\n

By the end of its second day, the film’s total collection was 85 lakh net in India. Over 800 shows were cut after the first day due to low demand.<\/p>\n

Trade analysts have reported that the film was made on a budget of 20-25 crore. It has recovered only a small fraction of its cost.<\/p>\n

Casting and Director’s Vision<\/h2>\n

Karki defended his decision to cast Veer Pahariya as a college student. The casting drew some criticism on social media.<\/p>\n

In an interview, Karki said, ‘Veer ke chehre pe innocence hai. Vishal ka joh character voh play kar raha hai voh ek masoom sa bachcha hai.’<\/p>\n

He added, ‘All of us have been one film old. That is never my measuring criteria. Veer ne bohot zyada surrender kiya hai iss project ko.’<\/p>\n

Karki also stated, ‘As a director, Veer mere liye right choice thi. Film dekhne ke baad sab ko realise hoga ki there is a lot of innocence on his face.’<\/p>\n

Critical Reception<\/h2>\n

Reviews for Prem Keetanu were mixed to negative. Several critics felt the remake lost the charm of the original Malayalam film.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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