Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi said, “The first day collection of the film is likely to be 35 crores and it is huge considering it is a working Wednesday and I expect it to go beyond 45 crore on January 26.”
The controversy around Pathaan has only added to the curiosity about the film, leading to more buzz. Producer and trade analyst Girish Johar said, ”Pathaan has generated a lot of curiosity not only amongst the fans in India but worldwide. It’s going to take a fantastic start on Wednesday, January 25, which is a non-holiday. I peg a start ranging between 35 and 37 crores. If the start is in this range it will be a fantastic one. We have a holiday on January 26 and a long weekend ahead. The film can do fantastic numbers including the overseas market, where if the film does even 10 to 12 million dollars in the first five days and if everything goes well, we’re looking at a 300 crores global box office from the first five days.”
Shah Rukh Khan returns to the big screen after four years. His last release was Zero which bombed at the box office although the film opened at about Rs 20 crores. It failed to impress the audience any further though. So will SRK make a big comeback at the box office? Akshaye Rathi said, “While Shah Rukh Khan hasn’t had a release in a while and the last few that happened didn’t live up to the expectations of a Shah Rukh Khan film, one thing that can never be disputed is that his stardom has been built over three decades. A couple of unsuccessful films don’t shake that up. So, what you’re seeing right now is his fans coming back with a vengeance. People who have watched his movies over decades will come to watch this movie, thanks to his stardom and his on-screen persona, which Pathaan is based on. I’m sure that this year he will have a lot of hysteria around him at the box office with the three movies that are releasing. Starting with Pathaan, then Jawan in the middle of the year and Dunki towards the end of the year. I’m sure that we’re going to witness one of the biggest opening weekends this republic day.”
Trade expert Girish Wankhede adds, “SRK can never go out of sync. He is the biggest mainstream draw. These 4 years of hiatus will in fact bring more excitement and charisma to the box office. With Pathaan, he will consolidate his super stardom and box office authority.”
