Alpha has begun its theatrical run with mixed response. While advance booking figures suggest the spy thriller secured a modest opening across India's leading multiplex chains, social media has painted a very different picture. Throughout the film's release day, several moviegoers posted photos and videos claiming they watched the film in nearly empty cinema halls, sparking fresh debate around its theatrical performance.
According to Sacnilk, the film registered a stable opening through advance bookings. Across the country's largest national multiplex chains, PVR, INOX and Cinepolis, Alpha sold nearly 39,000 tickets for its first day.
These bookings generated an estimated Rs 1.50 crore gross from the three chains. Among them, PVR contributed around 21,500 tickets, followed by INOX with nearly 12,000, while Cinepolis accounted for about 5,500 tickets.
The tracked shows across these national chains recorded an overall occupancy of approximately 6 per cent over nearly 2,800 screenings.
Despite the advance booking figures, many viewers claimed their theatres remained largely vacant. Throughout the day, users flooded social media with images and videos showing what they described as empty auditoriums during screenings.
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One user wrote, "The theaters are empty man. People are only coming for @iHrithik's cameo"
The theaters are empty man. People are only coming for @iHrithik's cameo😭🔥#HrithikRoshan𓃵 #Alpha pic.twitter.com/Kd5w5vXBdA
— GOAT🐐 HRITHIK ROSHANᴳᴼᴰ (@GoatHRITHIKera) July 3, 2026
Another shared, "It's true whole Theatre was empty only 2 person was there in my show. Action kam horror lag raha tha because of empty show."
It's true whole Theatre was empty only 2 person was there in my show 😭😭.
— Jash (@jeetcasm) July 3, 2026
Action kam horror lag raha tha because of empty show 😭😭
Alia Bhatt and Sharvari promoted so much that they pulled 2 person in my show 😭😭 #Alpha #Alphareview https://t.co/1vxSd8A65X
As reactions continued to surface online, several users compared Alpha with Dhurandhar, that went on to become a major box office success.
One post read, "The occupancies across India for #WelcomeToTheJungle on its 2nd Friday are MUCH better than Day 1 of #Apha."
The occupancies across India for #WelcomeToTheJungle on its 2nd Friday are MUCH better than Day 1 of #Apha.
— Navneet Mundhra (@navneet_mundhra) July 3, 2026
Reports of this #AliaBhatt & @yrf movie are BELOW AVERAGE as well.
A MAJOR reshuffling of SCREENS is on the cards. Exhibitors across India have started allotting more… pic.twitter.com/1ef7L2kyEr
Another user criticised the film, writing, "ALPHA hopeless movie. Waste of time and money. One good thing though, AFTER DHURANDHAR THE TASTE OF INDIANS HAS IMPROVED. The cinema hall is absolutely empty. YRF can’t serve stale material and get away with it. @yrf, hopelessly pathetic movie ALPHA"
ALPHA hopeless movie. Waste of time and money. One good thing though, AFTER DHURANDHAR THE TASTE OF INDIANS HAS IMPROVED. The cinema hall is absolutely empty. YRF can’t serve stale material and get away with it. @yrf , hopelessly pathetic movie ALPHA
— Capt.manojbagoria🇮🇳 (@CaptMB0107) July 3, 2026
Photos and videos shared by several netizens continued to circulate online throughout the opening day, with many claiming that cinema halls remained sparsely occupied.
