What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
‘KGF – Chapter 2’ was carrying tremendous pre-release buzz and its advance booking was a sign that it would fetch an earth-shattering initial. However, the denouement has surpassed even gargantuan expectations.
Released on Thursday, ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ (Hindi) bagged the biggest opening ever as it collected Rs 53 crore nett in India on Day 1. The opening records in all circuits, except Delhi-UP, were smashed to smithereens. After taking such a mind-boggling start, it held exceedingly well on Friday and Saturday as it mustered Rs 47 crore and 43 crore respectively. After the thunderous opening, a section of the industry was expecting it to drop on Day 2 and 3 as action films register drops if they open so huge, but ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ defied all the conventions.
It again went into an overdrive on Sunday and racked up Rs 50 crore nett which is simply astonishing. No Hindi film had collected Rs 50 crore nett on two separate days, but ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ (Hindi) did what even Bollywood films had failed to achieve.
In an extended weekend of 4 days, ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ (Hindi) has totted up Rs 193 crore nett. It is important to note that these numbers are only from the Hindi dubbed version of the film. The lion’s share of its business is coming from the Hindi version, but its Kannada, Telugu and Tamil versions are doing exceptionally well.
SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ (Hindi) continued to gallop at the ticket counters as it recorded Rs 10 crore nett in its fourth weekend. The collections are excellent as many had thought that it would be blown away by the ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ wave. So far, ‘RRR’ (Hindi) has netted Rs 251 crore so far and its life-time total is looking to close at around Rs 265-270 crore. Overall, it’s a SUPERHIT.
Speaking to The New Indian, veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, “We all were expecting ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ to embark on a historic start, but the collections have completely surpassed even our expectations. The trade and the industry are pleasantly and jubilantly surprised. Amassing Rs 193 crore net in four days is not a joke. I won’t call it a Hindi dubbed Kannada film. We must call it a film from the Indian film industry.”
“I think it has the merits to cross the life-time business of Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’, which had clocked up Rs 380 crore nett. But we have to wait for some time to see whether it can leapfrog ‘Baahubali 2’ which had hoovered up Rs 515 crore nett in Hindi dubbed version,” he stated.
In the post-pandemic phase, the Hindi dubbed versions of three movies from the South – ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, ‘RRR’ and ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ – have slayed the Bollywood box-office. Both ‘RRR’ and ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ have garnered bigger numbers than Bollywood movies in their backyard. So, why is this happening?
“In the 1970s and 1980s, Bollywood used to churn out wholesome entertainers. Stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and others used to patronise such films. Manmohan Desai movies were the embodiment of well-made masala films. But after the advent of multiplexes, our makers started focusing more on subjects which are aimed at urban and genteel audiences. A section of Bollywood started making what I call ‘Bandra to Versova’ movies. They strayed from traditional format and the viewers in the Hindi belts, outside big cities, weren’t feeling fully satiated,” opined Adarsh.
“On the other hand, the South has never deviated from making wholesome masala entertainers. Yes, they make meaningful cinema as well, but their makers have held onto their roots. Because a large segment of Hindi audience isn’t feeling satiated, movies from South are offering them what they want. The popularity of many South stars has also soared because of satellite channels which show Hindi dubbed versions of their films,” he added.
“The record-breaking success of ‘KGF – Chapter 2’ has once again evinced that well-made wholesome entertainers are the staple diet of the Hindi audience. This kind of cinema is here to stay and will always find plentiful patrons,” he concluded.
