The mood in Bollywood is buoyant. Big Daddy Rajkumar Hirani’s latest offering, Sanju (Sanjay Dutt’s biopic that stars Ranbir Kapoor in the titular role), has created box-office history in its opening weekend. The film collected Rs 119.5 cr in the first three days.
The movie, which released on June 29 (a working Friday), has the highest opening for a movie that hit the marquee on a ‘normal’ Friday. This is the fourth-highest opening as compared to flicks that have had the advantage of a holiday on a Friday.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “The two R’s — Rajkumar Hirani and Ranbir Kapoor —- are the biggest beneficiaries from #Sanju... Hirani has consolidated and cemented his status with yet another SMASH HIT... Ranbir needed a Hit, the massive BO numbers to bring him back and yes, he’s back with a vengeance (sic).”
FRIDAY FIGURES
10 Top Openings Include
1) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo: Rs 40 cr (Diwali 2015)
2) Happy New Year: Rs 37 cr (Diwali 2014)
3) Sultan: Rs 36.5 cr (Eid 2016)
4) Sanju: Rs 34.25 cr (June 2018)
5) Tiger Zinda Hai: Rs 34 cr (Dec 2017)
6) Dhoom 3: Rs 33 cr (Dec 2013)
7) Singham Returns: Rs 31.5 cr (Aug 15, 2014)
8) Chennai Express: Rs 30.50 cr (Eid 2013)
9) Ek Tha Tiger: Rs 30.50 cr (Aug 15, 2012)
10) Golmaal Again: Rs 30 cr (Diwali 2017)
Sanju, which collected Rs 118.50 cr over the first three days of its run, also breaks the record for:
1. Highest non-holiday Friday ever
2. Highest Saturday collections ever
3. Highest Sunday collections ever
4. Therefore, it becomes the highest three-day (opening weekend) collection ever.
Trade sources are unable to estimate how high the collections will climb, but they are ecstatic that the opening weekend itself has yielded such fantastic numbers.
This catapults Ranbir back to the top five. The actor, who has had a poor box-office run with Jagga Jasoos (2017) coming unstuck at the ticket windows, is now back to competing with the Khan triumvirate — Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh.
Ranbir’s other Rs 100-cr films include:
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013): Rs 177.99 cr
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016): Rs 106.48 cr
Barfi! (2012): Rs 105.57 cr
*Domestic nett box office figures from reliable trade sources
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 "Rajkumar Hirani and (right) Ranbir Kapoor")
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