Mumbai: Beating back boycott calls, Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan is set for the biggest opening for any Hindi film with 4.19 lakh tickets sold till Tuesday and 80 per cent occupancy on day one, even for early morning shows beginning at 6 am or 7 am, say industry insiders.
The film, which releases across 5,000 screens on Wednesday, could well signal a happy 2023 for an industry grappling with crippling losses following the Covid pandemic and a string of box office duds. The ticket surge is being seen in multiplexes, single screen theatres and also in the south.
The film is going to take a historic start at the box office with opening day collections of Rs 45 crore to Rs 50 crore. The box office revival will begin with Pathaan, especially looking at its advance booking. This is very rare. And tomorrow is a working day," said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
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#Xclusiv: ‘PATHAAN’ AT RECORD 100+ COUNTRIES, 2500+ SCREENS *OVERSEAS*… #Pathaan hits a century… Will be released in 100+ countries, the HIGHEST for any #Indian film ever… Total screen count: 2500+ [#Overseas]… A heartening sign for theatrical biz, especially post pandemic. pic.twitter.com/LFzzpYYKlI
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 24, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">#Xclusiv: ‘PATHAAN’ AT RECORD 100+ COUNTRIES, 2500+ SCREENS *OVERSEAS*… #Pathaan hits a century… Will be released in 100+ countries, the HIGHEST for any #Indian film ever… Total screen count: 2500+ [#Overseas]… A heartening sign for theatrical biz, especially post pandemic. pic.twitter.com/LFzzpYYKlI
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 24, 2023#Xclusiv: ‘PATHAAN’ AT RECORD 100+ COUNTRIES, 2500+ SCREENS *OVERSEAS*… #Pathaan hits a century… Will be released in 100+ countries, the HIGHEST for any #Indian film ever… Total screen count: 2500+ [#Overseas]… A heartening sign for theatrical biz, especially post pandemic. pic.twitter.com/LFzzpYYKlI
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 24, 2023
The Yash Raj Films production, which marks Shah Rukh's return as a hero after 2018's Zero, will get a five-day extended opening weekend as it releases the day before Republic Day. The advances of Pathaan have exceeded all expectations, added Kamal Gianchandani, president of the Multiplex Association of India.
It's a foregone conclusion that tomorrow's opening would be the biggest for any Hindi film," he said. "There have been early morning shows before but the excitement for Pathaan is unprecedented with cinema halls in various cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon, opening for a 6 am or a 7 am show," he said. "It will be a record-breaking opening tomorrow. It is tough to put a number. KGF 2 Hindi version had minted Rs 52.5 crore, this will exceed that," he estimated.
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TOP 5
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Ticket Sales Of *Day 1*… #Hindi and #Hindi dubbed films…
NOTE: National chains only.
1. #Baahubali2 #Hindi 6.50 lacs
2. #KGF2 #Hindi 5.15 lacs
3. #Pathaan 4.19 lacs* [1 day pending]
4. #War 4.10 lacs
5. #TOH 3.46 lacs pic.twitter.com/JzUmqbVRPK
">TOP 5
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023
Ticket Sales Of *Day 1*… #Hindi and #Hindi dubbed films…
NOTE: National chains only.
1. #Baahubali2 #Hindi 6.50 lacs
2. #KGF2 #Hindi 5.15 lacs
3. #Pathaan 4.19 lacs* [1 day pending]
4. #War 4.10 lacs
5. #TOH 3.46 lacs pic.twitter.com/JzUmqbVRPKTOP 5
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023
Ticket Sales Of *Day 1*… #Hindi and #Hindi dubbed films…
NOTE: National chains only.
1. #Baahubali2 #Hindi 6.50 lacs
2. #KGF2 #Hindi 5.15 lacs
3. #Pathaan 4.19 lacs* [1 day pending]
4. #War 4.10 lacs
5. #TOH 3.46 lacs pic.twitter.com/JzUmqbVRPK
READ | Pathaan advance booking: SRK's film to break KGF records, eyeing a bumper opening
Adarsh on Monday tweeted that the film's ticket sales are around 4.19 lakh -- and counting. "Ticket sales of Day 1 #Hindi and #Hindi dubbed films NOTE: National chains only. 1. #Baahubali2 #Hindi 4.50 lacs 2.#KGF2 #Hindi 5.15 lacs 3.#Pathaan 4. 19 lacs* (1 day pending) 4. #War 4. 10 5. #TOH 3.46 lacs," he tweeted.
According to a release by YRF, Pathaan is the first Shah Rukh film to open in over 100 plus countries, the highest for any YRF film so far. In fact, it is the widest release for an Indian film globally! Shah Rukh Khan is hands down the biggest superstar internationally and there is unparalleled demand for Pathaan to be released across the world given the hype that the film is carrying, said Nelson D'Souza, vice president of international distribution, YRF.
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‘PATHAAN’ REVIVES SINGLE SCREENS… #Pathaan is all set to revive theatrical biz, going by the terrific advance bookings… Most importantly, as many as 25 single screens across #India - which were shut - will re-open with #Pathaan this week, given the unprecedented buzz. pic.twitter.com/ICGpywDTzh
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">‘PATHAAN’ REVIVES SINGLE SCREENS… #Pathaan is all set to revive theatrical biz, going by the terrific advance bookings… Most importantly, as many as 25 single screens across #India - which were shut - will re-open with #Pathaan this week, given the unprecedented buzz. pic.twitter.com/ICGpywDTzh
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023‘PATHAAN’ REVIVES SINGLE SCREENS… #Pathaan is all set to revive theatrical biz, going by the terrific advance bookings… Most importantly, as many as 25 single screens across #India - which were shut - will re-open with #Pathaan this week, given the unprecedented buzz. pic.twitter.com/ICGpywDTzh
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 23, 2023
We are very bullish about Pathaan' and what it can collect from the overseas territories. It should be able to bring the cheer back in the theatrical distribution business at the start of the year.
Shah Rukh took a break from movies after the lukewarm performance of Zero. Between then and now, the actor has only made cameo appearances in R Madhavan's Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (Hindi version) and Ayan Mukerji's blockbuster Brahmastra Part One: Shiva. (With agency inputs)
