Gadar re-release: Sunny Deol film makes Rs 1.60 crore in opening weekend despite very limited release

Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel’s 2001 blockbuster Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was re-released in select theatres across India this weekend. The film, which was remastered in 4K with new VFX, was released weeks before the film’s sequel – Gadar 2 – hits the screens. And the first signs are good. Despite the extremely limited screen count, Gadar has managed to do well at the box office.

Gadar Ek Prem Katha earned Rs 45 lakh on its opening day on Friday, followed by Rs 55 lakh on Saturday and Rs 60 lakh on Sunday, giving it an opening weekend net collection of Rs 1.60 crore. The number may seem small but it is worth noting that Gadar has released in only 300 screens across India, a very small number by today’s standrards. Most mainstream Hindi fims release in over 2000 screens with the huge ones like Pathaan taking up 5500 screens on opening day. By that metric, Gadar’s numbers are very promising.

As per reports, the remastering cost of Gadar Ek Prem Katha was around Rs 2 crore. Even after adding the nominal re-release costs, the opening weekend numbers indicate that the makers should turn a profit for the re-release. And anyway, the purpose of the re-release was to generate buzz for the sequel, which releases in theatres on August 11.

Gadar was released in theatres in 2001 and earned Rs 132 crore worldwide back then, making it the second-highest-grossing Indian film that year and one of the highest-grossing Hindi films at that time. The film is regarded as an all-time blockbuster. Gadar followed Sikh truck driver Tara Singh (Sunny) who falls in love with a Muslim girl Sakeena (Ameesha) around Partition. Years later, when Ameesha returns to Pakistan to meet her family, she is held captive there and Tara crosses the border to get his wife back.

The sequel – titles Gadar 2: The Katha continues – is set in 1971 and sees Tara Singh return to Pakistan again. The first teaser was attached to the re-release and released formally online on Monday. The film will release on August 11, clashing with Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, Akshay Kumar’s OMG 2, and Rajinikanth’s Jailer.