Sultan earned Rs 36.54 crore on its opening day. Will Salman Khan's latest release Bharat be able to beat that record and emerge as his biggest Eid opener?
 |
| Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in a still from Bharat (L) and Salman Khan in a still from Sultan |
Ever since Wanted hit the theatres on Eid in 2009, the festival has become synonymous with the release of a Salman Khan film. In the last decade, his Eid blockbusters have become an inseparable part of his superstardom.
This year, Salman has a special Eid treat for his fans - Ali Abbas Zafar's Bharat. The film, which traces the journey the nation over six decades through the life of a common man, seems to have the perfect mix of action, romance, comedy, emotion and most importantly, patriotism.
Will Bharat surpass Sultan to become Salman's biggest opener on Eid?
In 2016, Sultan opened at a whopping Rs 36.54 crore earned Rs 105.53 crore in its first three days, despite releasing on a Wednesday. Interestingly, Bharat is hitting the theatres on a Wednesday (June 5), as well.
However, Bharat is at a slight disadvantage compared to Sultan, as it opens on the same day that India plays its first match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Our country's intense love for cricket is no secret, and there is a chance that the opening day business might Bharat will suffer as a section of the audience would want to watch the India vs South Africa match.
Considering that match begins at 3pm IST, and is expected to go on till around 11pm, the evening shows, which contribute to the lion's share of the first-day collection, will definitely be hit.
Bharat also has an edge over Sultan - its nationalistic appeal. The box office trends are proof that patriotic films are currently 'high on josh', and Salman is hoping to give the genre his own twist.
In an interview with an entertainment website, Salman said that Bharat was a complete package, and the nationalism makes it all the more special. "Isse badi aur inspiring film aur humari mitti se judi hui film, I don't think abhi kuch time tak aayegi... I don't think iss film se kisi ko kami ya disappointment mehsoos hogi," he said.
The expectations from Bharat are sky-high, as it marks the return of the blockbuster combination of Salman and director Ali Abbas Zafar. Interestingly, it was Ali who directed Sultan, which is Salman's biggest opener on Eid till date.
Both of Salman and Ali's collaborations - Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai - have been huge money-spinners, with an opening of more than Rs 30 crore and a lifetime collection of over Rs 300 crore.
Not just the box office, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai also managed to win over critics. Who can forget Salman exposing his pot-belly in the much-talked-about mirror scene in Sultan, which left the audience emotional?
Tiger Zinda Hai was also applauded for bringing out the larger-than-life machismo that the actor is loved for. India Today critic Ananya Bhattacharya wrote in her review of the film, "Writer-director Ali Abbas Zafar taps into Salman Khan's strengths as an actor... strike that. As a hero. And delivers one of the best, quintessentially Salman Khan films in recent times."
Bharat, if the trailers are anything to go by, comes from the same mould.
There is also a bonus for fans - the Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif jodi. When the onscreen couple returned in Tiger Zinda Hai, after a gap of five years, the magic was still there and the overwhelming response of the audience was proof.
In Bharat, too, Salman and Katrina's fantastic chemistry will undoubtedly be one of the highlights.
As of now, there is a 50-50 chance that Bharat will cross Sultan's opening day record at the box office. It remains to be seen what happens on Eid.
0 comments:
Post a Comment