New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan's high-octane action thriller 'Pathaan' received rave reviews from critics and the audience alike with its release on January 25. Going by the crazy crowd that led to a housefull even during the morning show at 6am, SRK's action drama is off to a great start earning Rs55 crore on its opening day, as per trade analysts.
In his latest tweet about the film's box office numbers, film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh calls 'Pathaan' the 'BIGGEST OPENER' as the film collects Rs 55 crore on day 1 of its release. He wrote, "2023 STARTS WITH A BANG...Non-holiday, Midweek release [Wed] Yet, #Pathaan embarks on a HISTORIC START… BIGGEST *DAY 1* EVER… East. West. North. South. #PathaanMania grips the nation… Wed ₹ 55 cr. #India biz. #Hindi version. #Tamil + #Telugu: ₹ 2 cr"
Pathaan's opening day numbers rank among the best of all time, surpassing those of War (2019), which made 50 crore net and KGF 2 (Hindi), which made 52 crore net. Early estimates indicate that Pathaan's Hindi adaptation made an incredible 50–51 crore nett on its opening day at the domestic box office.
According to a report by Box Office India, "Pathaan has recorded a phenomenal opening day at the box office as it takes a ₹50-51 crore nett collection in its Hindi version, as per early estimates." As per the article, 'Bahubali: The Conclusion' (in Hindi), which was the greatest non-holiday opener before 'Pathaan', the action movie, which also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, has shattered non-holiday records by a wide margin. The 2017 film starring an ensemble cast including Prabhas and Anushka Shetty is directed by SS Rajamouli.
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to his social media handle to share estimated first day collections at national chains. He claims that the movie made more money up to Wednesday night ($25.05 crore) than Hrithik Roshan's War ($19.67 crore) did on its first weekend at cinema networks. He wrote: "Pathaan at chain stores nationwide day 1… 8.15 p.m. update PVR made $11.40 billion, INOX $8.75 billion, and Cinepolis $4.90 billion. 25.05 crore in total. SUPERB. Note: At multiplex chains, the complete day numbers for Better than War ($19.67 crore), TOH ($18 crore), Thugs of Hindostan ($18 crore), and KGF ($22.15 crore)."
Industry tracker Ramesh Bala tweeted about Pathaan's worldwide box office collection on Day 1. He said, "Pathaan takes a whopping ₹100 crore plus gross opening at the worldwide box office. No.1 debut in UAE and Singapore." In another tweet, he said, "Pathaan has crossed $1 million in the US by Wednesday afternoon."
As per our in-house review, 'Pathaan' is a one-time watch and a great way to begin 2023. It has its moments and is sure to bring SRK fans back to theatres and perhaps give Bollywood a good box office start this year.
'Pathaan' marks Shah Rukh Khan's grand return on celluloid after 'Zero' which was released in 2018. Co-starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, 'Pathaan' is an action-thriller.
Directed by Siddharth Anand of 'War' fame, ‘Pathaan’ released on January 25, 2023 among much fanfare.