'Pathaan' off to flying start with Rs 106 crore worldwide gross on day1, biggest for any Hindi movie
New Delhi, Jan 26: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan made a grand comeback to the big screen with his new Hindi film "Pathaan" raising a whopping Rs 106 crore in worldwide gross on the opening day, the makers announced on Thursday.
According to production house Yash Raj Films (YRF), the movie registered the "biggest opening day in the history of Hindi cinema".
Domestically, the movie's nett day one collection stood at Rs 55 crore, which was the "highest grossing first day for a Hindi film", with its dubbed versions bringing in additional Rs two crore. "Pathaan" was also released in Tamil and Telugu on Wednesday.
The Siddharth Anand directorial, which faced boycott calls over the song "Besharam Rang", marks Shah Rukh's return to movies after a gap of over four years. His previous film was 2018's "Zero".
YRF said "Pathaan" had set multiple new records, including the "widest Hindi release of all time in India" and "highest grossing first day for a non-holiday release".
The first day gross collection of the stylish spy thriller is also the "highest ever" in Shah Rukh's career as well as for co-stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, director Anand and YRF, the studio stated in a press release.
"It is a historic day for Indian cinema and we are humbled to see the love and appreciation that is flowing for 'Pathaan' globally.
"For 'Pathaan' to shatter records in this fashion on a non holiday, just proves that the theatrical business is here to stay, provided we make films that entice people to come to the cinemas to witness a never seen before experience that entertains them thoroughly," Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, said in a statement.
With its record day one haul, "Pathaan" has exceeded the expectations of the industry experts who were banking on the action spectacle to pull out Bollywood from the trenches of the pandemic and a string of box-office duds.
The film opened on Wednesday in over 5,000 screens across the country, including big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The movie has a five-day extended opening weekend as it released just the day before Republic Day.
Till Tuesday, "Pathaan" sold with 4.19 lakh tickets sold in advance booking reflecting 80 per cent occupancy on day one, even for early morning shows beginning at 6 am or 7 am, said industry insiders.
Buoyed by the phenomenal response to the star-studded entertainer, production banner YRF on Wednesday said it had added a post midnight 12.30 am show across the country.
Besides, 300 more screens were added due to high demand, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, taking the film's total screen count to 8,500 worldwide.
"Pathaan" is the fourth film in producer Aditya Chopra's ambitious spy universe, following Salman Khan's "Ek Tha Tiger" (2012) and "Tiger Zinda Hai" (2017), and "War", featuring Hrithik Roshan (2019).
The movie follows the titular spy Pathaan (Shah Rukh) who comes out of exile to stop terrorist group Outfit X, led by Jim (John), from launching a debilitating attack on India.
"Pathaan" also has a guest appearance by Salman as fellow spy Tiger.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
