'Pathaan' sets record advance booking, insiders hope for revival of cinema
Mumbai(PTI): 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," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told PTI.
"This film is going to break the advance booking of KGF 2' and will do a business of Rs 45 crore to 50 crore," agreed Rajendra Singh Jyala, chief programming officer at multiplex chain INOX.
"We have 7 am shows at Inox and almost 80 per cent of it is full. The early morning shows are happening in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and a few others," Jyala told PTI.
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 expectation, 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.
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, international distribution, YRF.
"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."
Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR Limited, added that there has been phenomenal advance booking at their 903 screens across India.
"This will be the first SRK film that will open at 6 am in PVR cinemas. A movie truly made for the Big Screen experience, we are seeing an increasing preference to watch this movie in our premium formats like IMAX, ICE, 4DX and P [XL]," Bijli said.
According to leading ticketing platform BookMyShow (BMS), over 10 lakh tickets have been sold for the coming days till now.
"The response across India has been phenomenal with cinephiles choosing a cinematic experience as they opt for varied formats including 2D, IMAX and 4DX across cities," Ashish Saksena, COO, Cinemas, BookMyShow, said in a statement.
It is also one of the first films from Bollywood that's leading the charts in advance booking in the south.
"South India has been particularly impressive showcasing an upward trajectory with Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru contributing almost 30 percent of the overall advance sales so far," said Saksena.
The film is enjoying bumper advance booking in single screen theatres as well.
Mumbai's popular single-screen theatres Gaiety, Galaxy and Maratha Mandir have ticket bookings of 70 to 80 per cent, said Manoj Desai, executive director of the theatres.
"For the first time, we are having morning shows starting from 9 am for SRK fan clubs, who have almost booked the entire theatre," Desai said, adding, the ticket prices have been kept nominal in the range of Rs 130 to Rs 160.
In more good news for the film industry, about 25 cinemas, which were shut down due to Covid, are reopening for "Pathaan" given the unprecedented buzz.
These include Kohinoor Cinema in Suratgarh, (Rajasthan), Lajwanti Talkies in Bishrampur, (Chhattisgarh) and Prabhat Talkies in Bina, (Madhya Pradesh).
The film, directed by Siddharth Anand and also featuring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead, was at the centre of a huge debate over its song "Besharam Rang". Deepika has several costume changes, including a saffron bikini, in the song. Several right-wing groups burned effigies and posters of the movie, alleging that the film hurt Hindu religious sentiments.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra took objection to Deepika's saffron bikini, saying it was "highly objectionable", leading to hashtags of 'boycott Pathaan' and 'ban Pathaan'. Many other politicians joined Mishra in criticising the film.
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".
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It has been testing time, not just for us, but entire global community: MEA on West Asia situation
New Delhi (PTI): As the conflict in West Asia widened with global ramifications, India on Thursday said the situation has been a "testing time", not just for the country, but the entire global community.
At an inter-ministerial briefing here on the West Asia situation, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said, "We continue to remain in touch with concerned countries to ensure our energy security needs are met."
The raging conflict in the region entered its 20th day on Thursday.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine launched military strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US military bases.
"Yes, it has been a testing time, not just for us, but the entire global community. Our leaders have been in touch with their counterparts, as I just spoke about the conversation between our prime minister and the Crown Prince of Kuwait. Similarly, we have been in touch with several other leaders," Jaiswal said.
The two leaders exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia and expressed concern over recent developments. The prime minister reiterated India's condemnation of attacks on Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.
The prime minister also underlined the importance of ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Both leaders agreed that sustained diplomatic engagement remains essential for ensuring regional peace and stability.
He was asked if the West Asia conflict situation has proven to be a test of New Delhi's diplomatic approach in challenging global scenarios.
"Couple of days back you saw that because of our engagement, we were able to... and with talks and diplomacy with several of the stakeholders, we were able to get two of our LPG ships through the Strait of Hormuz," he added.
The MEA spokesperson said India "continues to remain in touch with several stakeholders in this matter, so that we can ensure our energy security needs, as also at the same time, ensure well-being and safety of our Indian nationals, diaspora, present in large number in this region".
"So, our diplomatic efforts continue, and we are committed to taking care of our interests," he asserted.
Later, at his weekly media briefing, Jaiswal said India has been saying that there has to be an "early end to this conflict" through the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
The West Asia conflict has stretched into three weeks, with an Israeli attack on Iran's strategic gas fields of South Pars resulting in an intense Iranian retaliation on key energy infrastructure in several Gulf nations, including Qatar's LNG (liquefied natural gas) hub of Ras Laffan, triggering global concerns.
Qatar accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India's LNG requirement.
The MEA in a statement said the strikes are "unacceptable and need to cease" even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to top leaders of Oman, France and Malaysia, emphasising the urgency to restore peace in the volatile region.
New Delhi described the attacks on the gas infrastructure as "deeply disturbing" and said that assaults will only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy market globally.
Additional Secretary (Gulf), Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem R Mahajan, said the MEA continues to "closely monitor" the developments in the Gulf and wider West Asia region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community remaining the highest priority.
Since February 28, around 2.8 lakh passengers have returned from the region to India.
In the UAE, limited non-scheduled flights continue to operate, with around 75 flights on March 18, and about 90 flights expected later on Thursday from various airports to India, Mahajan said.
Flights continue to operate from Oman and Saudi Arabia to India. Qatar airspace remains partially open, with Qatar Airways operating non-scheduled flights, including nine flights to India on Thursday, he added.
Kuwait airspace has remained closed since February 28; special non-scheduled flights by Jazeera Airways are being operated from Al-Qaisumah Airport in Saudi Arabia, with the first flight to Cochin scheduled on Friday.
Bahrain airspace remains closed, with Gulf Air operating special flights from Dammam in Saudi Arabia and additional services expected.
For Indian nationals in Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, where airspace remains restricted, transit through Saudi Arabia continues to be facilitated, particularly for emergency cases, the MEA official said.
On the 15 Indian crew members of MT Safesea Vishnu who were rescued, he said they have departed from Iraq and are "expected to return to India shortly".
The Mission remains in contact with the crew and Iraqi authorities to facilitate their return and to expedite repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased Indian national, he said.
The government told reporters that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no shipping incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours.
At present, 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region, with DG Shipping continuing close monitoring in coordination with ship owners and Indian Missions.
Jaiswal, on a query regarding fertilisers supply, said, "Our fertiliser situation at this point in time, especially for kharif 2026, we have adequate stock, so we are comfortable. The Department of Fertilisers has also put out global tenders well in advance in anticipation of the current situation, and these have received a very good response. We expect the bulk of the quantities ordered from a variety of sources to arrive by the end of March."
