New Delhi: Vicky Kaushal starrer 'Sam Bahadur', a biographical war drama based on the life of India's first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw, was released with Ranbir Kapoor’s 'Animal' on Friday (December 1). The film opened with good reviews, with critics and audience calling Vicky Kaushal’s performance as his career best. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Sam Bahadur collected Rs 6 crores on the opening day with an overall occupancy of 15.88% in the Hindi market on Friday. 


According to Sacnilk, approximately 1,03,192 tickets were pre-sold in Hindi. The morning occupancy was highest in Jaipur with 41 percent and lowest in Kolkata with 9 percent.  


Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw led the Indian Army from the front leading to Bangladesh's liberation. 


The film also stars Sanya Malhotra, and Fatima Sana Shaikh among others. 


ABP Live’s review of the film read, “'Sam Bahadur' is an engaging watch about a man who deserved such a homage. The film is a mature take on how the biographical war drama genre on patriotism can be done right.  


Watch it for the performance of Vicky Kaushal and for Meghna Gulzar who has set the bar high for other filmmakers attempting the genre or this subject.” 


Read the full review here


Animal's box office performance
Another release of the day – Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal is way ahead of ‘Sam Bahadur’ in terms of box office collection. As per industry tracker site Sacnilk.com, 'Animal' is likely to have a global opening of more than Rs. 100 cr. 


Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film also features Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna. 


ABP Live’s review of the film reads, “While Animal is certainly gory, violent, and flawed, the audience's loud cheers indicate that it is entertaining. While it's hard to pin down whether or not it's worth seeing, it's not for the faint of heart or those who loathed Sandeep Reddy Vanga's prior works. Akin to how it began, the movie closes on a promise. A promise of a far bloodier sequel.”   


Read the full review here