New Delhi, Jun 10 (IANS): Despite aggressive promotion and marketing by Deols, their home production “Yamla Pagla Deewana 2” (YPD 2) made a tepid start at the box office, raking in approximately Rs.16.6 crore in the first two days of its release.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted: "Rides on the star power of the Deols and its brand. But lacklustre script plays a spoilsport!"

He couldn't be wrong as the critics too panned the film, saying it is "exhausting and loud" and a "torturous joke".

Trade pundits had predicted that Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer youth-centric romantic drama “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”, which collected above Rs.100 crore in the first week of its release and is still going strong, will give the fun flick a tough competition at the box office.

"In India, at the rate it is faring, 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' is likely to emerge 3rd biggest grosser, after '3 Idiots' and 'Ek Tha Tiger'. Wait-n-watch, (sic)" tweeted Adarsh.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan said that YPD 2 is doing good in single screens, but business is not overwhelming in the multiplexes. "And it's opposite for 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'."

Directed by Sangeeth Sivan, YPD 2 starring Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, and Bobby Deol in the lead roles came out Friday on around 1,800 screens across the country.

The film collected Rs.7.10 crore on the first day and Rs.6.5 crore on Saturday at the domestic box office, while in the overseas market the earning approximately has been Rs.3 crore from 250 screens.

Produced under the Deols' banner Vijyata Films, the cast has National Award winning actors Annu Kapoor and Anupam Kher as well as Neha Sharma, Christina Akheeva, Sucheta Khanna and Johnny Lever.

Deols are known to be a big draw in Punjab, but Jaspal Dhingra of Nanaksar Enterprises from the state said: "YPD 2 is not doing a good business. It's a very average film as compared to the first one. The quality of the film is not good."

"'Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani' is doing a very good business in its second week. The second week collection of 'Yeh Jawaani...' will be much better than the first week collection of YPD 2," he added and pointed out that audiences are not "appreciating" the film as the "concept of the film is not clear at all".