SRK's 'Pathaan' sets cash register ringing with Rs 55 crore opening, highest for any Hindi movie
New Delhi (PTI): Shah Rukh Khan made a grand comeback to the big screen with his new Hindi film "Pathaan" raising a whopping Rs 55 crore nett and its dubbed versions bringing in additional Rs 2 crores on the opening day, the makers announced on Thursday.
According to production house Yash Raj Films (YRF), the movie's nett day one collection stood at Rs 55 crore, the "highest grossing first day for a Hindi film". "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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Rajpal Yadav apologises for Diwali video after backlash, deletes post
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav recently found himself in a controversy following a video he shared on Diwali. In the video, Yadav urged people not to burst firecrackers, citing concerns over noise and air pollution, as well as the distress caused to animals. However, this message sparked backlash on social media, where users criticised him, citing his past endorsement of non-vegetarian brands. Following the criticism, Yadav deleted the video and issued a public apology in a new post, expressing regret for any offence caused.
In his apology, Yadav wished everyone a happy Diwali and said, "Two days ago, I shared a video on my social media, which I have now deleted. I sincerely apologise if it hurt anyone's feelings. Celebrate Diwali joyfully, stay healthy, and be happy."
After Yadav’s apology, several people expressed disappointment, questioning whether environmental awareness is being unfairly targeted. Some users remarked on the trend of trolling those promoting environmental responsibility, while others criticised Yadav's decision to apologise, calling it an unwarranted concession to trolls. Noted journalist Dr. Mukesh Kumar commented on the situation, stating that Yadav should have stood by his message. Kumar argued that voices promoting positive change should not be silenced by what he termed as the influence of "uneducated masses manipulated by political agendas."
Amid the controversy, Rajpal Yadav returns to the big screen as Chhote Pandit in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, starring Kartik Aaryan. In an interview, Yadav mentioned that he would be portraying the character in a fresh style, adding a new dimension to the familiar role.
Rajpal Yadav's case clearly shows the condition of many Indian's today
— Veena Jain (@DrJain21) November 1, 2024
He just expressed his views, asked to care for Animals & celebrate Deepavali with 🪔
But some insecure H@te mongers started giving H@te & finally he apologised just to stop that
This shows many Indians… pic.twitter.com/Yzbvk187lf
इतनी जल्दी सरेंडर नहीं करना चाहिए था राजपाल जी। आपको अपने काम पर, अपने उद्देश्य पर यक़ीन होना चाहिए और उस पर डटे रहना चाहिए।
— Dr. Mukesh Kumar (@mukeshbudharwi) November 1, 2024
इस समय असभ्य, आशालीन और उपद्रवकारी लोगों की बाढ़ आई है। ये इतने बुद्धिहीन हैं कि आपके इतने महत्वपूर्ण संदेश को समझ ही नहीं पाए होंगे।
बाक़ी इनके विवेक पर… https://t.co/Mn3v0YYlil
