'Jawan' becomes biggest opening film of Hindi cinema with Rs 129 cr worldwide, surpasses 'Pathaan'
Mumbai (PTI): Shah Rukh Khan's high octane action thriller "Jawan" earned Rs 129.6 crore worldwide and Rs 75 crore in India on day one, making it the biggest opening day in the history of Hindi cinema both globally and in the country, the makers said on Friday.
The pan-India film, directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee and also starring Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi as well as Deepika Padukone in a special appearance, released worldwide on Thursday in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
"As Jawan says, 'Yeh toh bas shuruaat hai'. Thank you for the Massy-ive love," the production house Red Chilles Entertainment captioned the worldwide gross figures on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Jawan" is a father-son story that addresses social and political issues through its hero, essayed by the Bollywood star. The film released on Thursday.
The film also features Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi as well as Deepika Padukone in a special appearance.
Trade expert Taran Adarsh, who had predicted that Shah Rukh will surpass his own record for the highest opening in a Hindi film with his new release, shared the breakdown.
"'Jawan' is sensational... Creates history. 'Jawan' hits the ball out of the stadium... Shatters all previous records... Biggest opener (Hindi films). In India, day 1 biz 65.50 crore," he wrote, comparing the nett figure of the film with the Rs 55 crore made by "Pathaan" and Rs 53.95 crore made by the Hindi version of "KGF2".
Gautam Dutta, Co-CEO, PVR INOX Limited, said the response to 'Jawan' on day one was sensational and proved the might of "mass entertainers".
"The film has released at a time when the industry is seeing its glorious days with consumers going out to cinemas in huge numbers. If the unprecedented audience response is anything to go by, we are confident that 'Jawan' would not only be the biggest film of this year, but would end up adding immense strength to the cinema ecosystem," he said in a statement.
Bhuvnesh Mendiratta, COO of Miraj Entertainment Limited cinema chains said they had a footfall of around 1.25 lakh people on day one.
"'Jawan' has made a mark at Miraj and has also emerged as a nationwide sensation, raking in over 65 crores nett in India. The strong bookings for the entire weekend further highlight its incredible popularity.
"...It has resonated strongly across the country, with the South and Eastern sectors leading the way. With outstanding reviews and the potential to run for 4-5 weeks, 'Jawan' is poised to become the biggest blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema," he said.
The pan-India thriller, which released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, also features Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, and Aaliyah Qureshi, who are part of the group of women supporting SRK's hero.
Described by the makers as a high-octane thriller, "Jawan" outlines the story of a man set out to correct the wrongs of society.
A Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, "Jawan" is produced by Gauri Khan and co-produced by Gaurav Verma.
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NDA's win in Bihar Assembly bypolls a matter of concern: Prashant Kishor
Patna, Nov 23: Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Saturday dubbed as "a matter of concern" the NDA's win in assembly by-polls in Bihar despite "failure" of the BJP-led coalition to end the state's chronic backwardness during it's decades-long rule.
Talking to reporters here shortly after the results were out, Kishor also drew succour from the fact that his fledgling Jan Suraaj won "10 per cent" of the total votes polled in four seats, but rubbished the claim that it had played a role in the RJD's defeat in three of these.
"RJD is a 30-year-old party. The son of its state president finished third. Can Jan Suraaj be faulted for that? In Belaganj all Muslim votes went to the JD(U) candidate. In Imamganj, the Jan Suraaj cut into NDA votes. Else, the victory margin of (Union minister) Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha would have been bigger", asserted Kishor.
Notably, Imamganj, a reserved seat, was retained by Manjhi's daughter-in-law Deepa, who defeated the RJD candidate by a thin margin of less than 6,000 votes. Jan Suraaj candidate Jitendra Paswan finished third, polling more than 37,000 votes.
When pointed out that in three of the four seats, candidates of Jan Suraaj had polled less than one-sixth of the total votes and ran the risk of losing their deposits, Kishor shot back "That should not be a matter of concern (chinta ki baat). If there is a matter of concern, it is the ability of the NDA to make a clean sweep despite having ruled Bihar for so long and "failed" to end the state's backwardness".
The IPAC founder, who had a brief stint in the JD(U), insisted that the party's supremo Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, was a "spent force" and its candidate, former MLC Manorama Devi, had won on her own steam.
"We have always said that our fight is with NDA, not with RJD despite its claim of being the largest party in Bihar.....(but) Nitish Kumar is no factor. His party polled just about 11 per cent of total votes", said Kishor.
About his own party's inability to make a mark, Kishor said "We have secured 10 per cent votes..... in seats where Jan Suraaj had no presence since these areas were yet to be covered by my padyatra. Also, please note that we got our poll symbol after filing of nomination papers was over".
He also maintained that the Jan Suraaj will go solo in the assembly polls due next year when it will contest "all 243 seats".
"We were initially written off but by garnering about 10 per cent votes, in a state known to vote along predictable caste lines, we have proved a point. In the next few months we shall be strengthening the organization to ensure that vote share of the Jan Suraaj improves", he said.
