SULTAN: BOX-OFFICE EXPECTATIONS
Salman Khan’s Sultan will hit the screens in a few hours from now. Of course, the Ali Abbas Zafar-directorial has managed to get one of the best advance booking numbers in the recent past, but will that be enough? We are sure, howsoever he may deny, howsoever he may believe in the film, the records of his past hits like Kick (Rs 375 crore) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Rs 626 crore) must be playing on Salman’s mind.
Salman Khan’s Sultan will hit the screens in a few hours from now.
Of course, the Ali Abbas Zafar-directorial has managed to get one of the best advance booking numbers in the recent past, but will that be enough?
We are sure, howsoever he may deny, howsoever he may believe in the film, the records of his past hits like Kick (Rs 375 crore) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Rs 626 crore) must be playing on Salman’s mind.
SpotboyE.com spoke to a few people whose opinions count when it comes to numbers.
Says leading distributor Ramesh Sippy, “We are expecting at least Rs 140 crore in 5 days. Sultan looks to have the potential to do business like Salman’s last Eid release Bajrangi Bhaijaan.” However, he adds a word of caution, "Of course, it will all boil down to content. Bajrangi Bhaijaan worked well because it had excellent content.”
Trade analyst Amod Mehra is even more buoyant. He says, “If the advance booking is anything to go by (buzz is, the film has already raked in about Rs 8 crore), Sultan will surely have a bumper opening. My calculation is that it will cross 40-plus crore on Day 1. And by the end of the first 5 days, we can expect Rs 150 crore. Good or bad, I can already see a rollicking start.”
Kamal Gianchandani, President PVR pictures, expresses a similar sentiment. “The last time multiplexes saw such advance bookings was during Aamir’s PK (2014). But Sultan has surpassed that record as well.”
Manoj Desai, owner of G7 Cinemas, says Sultan has outdone Salman’s past releases like Dabangg (2010) and Bodyguard (2011). “ Salman’s Eid releases always enjoy a great opening, but Sultan has been the highest grosser in terms of advance booking. Looks like the film will mark the beginning of a good phase for business in Bollywood this year.”
Trade expert Komal Nahta endorses Desai's opinion and adds,. “Sultan will not only make money, but also sustain a good run. It will mark an energising start for the second half of 2016,” he says.
So yeah, the mood is really upbeat. But Salman-Anushka-Ali, will you sleep tonight?
Image Source: youtube/YRF
