India, Sept. 9 -- Mirzapur The Movie has crossed Rs.100 crore at the India box office in four days despite carrying an A certificate, which restricts viewing to audiences aged 18 and above, becoming the latest film this year to challenge the idea that an adult rating limits commercial prospects. It follows the success of A-rated titles such as Dhurandhar The Revenge, Jana Nayagan, The Odyssey and Obsession. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "In the case of Dhurandhar, the A certificate didn't change the film's fate; it worked because of its content. The public knew it was an adult-rated film, yet they still went to theatres and made it the biggest hit in Indian cinema. Also, a U certificate, which allows unrestricted public viewing, isn't a guarantee for success. It all depends on whether the film is good or not." He adds that distributors were once wary of an A certificate, but that concern has eased: "The content has to work, that's the only requisite." Trade analyst Komal Nahta says the concern has not disappeared entirely. "But it's not like the end of the world due to so many films becoming successful," he says, adding that an A rating can sometimes work in a film's favour. "There was so much discourse around the foul language and adult scenes in Animal (2023), and I thought that it added about Rs.100 crore to the collection because that is the way the youth today uses it. So, they felt vindicated seeing an A-list actor doing what they do in real life. These days, sometimes an A certificate adds a curiosity value and pushes the audience to the theatres, who wouldn't have gone otherwise." Trade analyst Atul Mohan points to changing audience demographics and OTT's influence. "The times are changing, and the major section of the film-going audience is the youth, who are 18+. So, A-rated films appeal to them. The makers see that raw and gritty content works on OTT, and when they come for certification, this argument comes that if it is allowed there, why not on the big screen. The success of such content on the web has made filmmakers braver and bolder too. They are not ready to compromise on storytelling for a UA certification's sake," he says. Akkshay Rathie, director, Ashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, says the business concern has reduced for distributors and exhibitors too. "We have seen some unprecedented successes across languages and genres. It has led to the realisation that there is enough people in every socio-economic stratum to make a film a blockbuster, if the content is exciting enough. Only when a certain section of the audience shows enough traction and generates revenue does it encourage makers to push the envelope."...