Mumbai: "Love wins" was the larger message that Hindi film personalities, including Karan Johar, Pooja Bhatt and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, sent out following the success of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Pathaan", which raised a whopping Rs 57 crore as domestic box office numbers on its opening day.
The early response to the stylish spy thriller, also featuring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, appears to be a shot in the arm for Bollywood reeling under the pandemic-induced losses, a series of box-office failures in 2022, and calls for boycott by a section of people on social media and elsewhere.
According to production house Yash Raj Films (YRF), the movie's net day one collection stood at Rs 55 crore, the "highest grossing first day for a Hindi film". Its dubbed versions in Tamil and Telugu fetched additional Rs 2 crore from theatres across the country.
Karan, frequent collaborator and close friend of Shah Rukh, praised team "Pathaan" for crossing the Rs 100-crore mark in reported global earnings.
"Hits beyond a century!!! Rs 100 crore and above in one day! GOAT mega star SRK, visionary and legendary YRF and Adi... Sid, Deepika, John!!! Wow. Love forever trumps hate! Mark this date..." the filmmaker wrote on his Instagram Stories on Thursday.
"Love in action! #Pathaan. Thank you @iamsrk for far more than the movies," tweeted Pooja.
Zeeshan, who has worked with Shah Rukh in "Raees" and "Zero", said he watched a late night show of "Pathaan" which had over 95 per cent occupancy.
"Love wins and you are love @iamsrk sir… @deepikapadukone superb. #JohnAbraham terrifying. Kudos to the whole team. @yrf #SiddharthAnand Thanks!" he added in his tweet.
The Siddharth Anand directorial, which faced boycott calls over the song "Besharam Rang" for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, had sold 4.19 lakh tickets till Tuesday in advance booking reflecting 80 per cent occupancy on day one, even for early morning shows beginning at 6 am or 7 am, said industry insiders.
Following glowing reviews and audience reaction, YRF on Wednesday said the studio had added a post midnight 12.30 am show across India. Besides, 300 more screens were added due to "unprecedented" demand, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, taking the total screen count of "Pathaan" to 8,500 worldwide.
For actor Ayushmann Khurrana, an ardent SRK fan, the scintillating reception of the film felt like "a personal victory".
"Met him. Hugged him. Danced with him. This feels like a personal victory. #Pathaan," Khurrana wrote on Twitter.
Terming "Pathaan" a "must watch", actor Dia Mirza tweeted: "Love wins. Congratulations Team Pathaan!!! Had such an amazing time."
Filmmaker Satish Kaushik said Shah Rukh's "Pathaan" and Salman Khan's "Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan" signal the return of the good ol' days for Bollywood.
"Jan 25 2023 is Celebration Day for beloved mumbai film industry .. good days are here again ..blockbuster 'Pathaan' will cross 50cr today & teaser of 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' shows another blockbuster on its way. Cheers @iamsrk @BeingSalmanKhan its party time for bollywood (sic)" added Kaushik in his tweet.
Actor Kangana Ranaut also had some good things to say about "Pathaan".
"'Pathaan' is doing well. Such films should definitely work. Hindi cinema that is lagging behind... every person is trying their best..." Ranaut told reporters on Wednesday night on the sidelines of her film "Emergency's" wrap party.
Veteran actor and her "Emergency" co-star Anupam Kher described it as a "huge film" mounted on a massive budget.
"Pathaan", a high-octane entertainer steeped in patriotic spirit, follows the titular spy (essayed by Shah Rukh in his first full-fledged role in over four years) who comes back to work to thwart a deadly attack on Indian soil planned by a mercenary group Outfit X, led by Jim (John). Also starring Salman in a guest appearance, the film released a day before Republic Day.
"The best gift that #Pathaan could give our nation on #RepublicDay2023 is bringing back the audience to the cinemas in #Srinagar. This is just beautiful," tweeted director Onir as he shared a picture of a packed theatre.
Wishes also poured in from Pakistan with Shah Rukh's "Raees" co-star Mahira Khan celebrating the release of their 2017 film and "Pathaan", which hit the screens on the same date five years apart.
"Five years ago... My Pathan," Mahira captioned a still from "Raees" featuring her with the Bollywood star.
"One word for #Pathaan !! Paisa vasool!! Congratulations @iamsrk @TheJohnAbraham @deepikapadukone @yrf #SiddharthAnand and ofcourse tiger forever @BeingSalmanKhan," said actor Aahana Kumra on Twitter.
According to YRF, "Pathaan" set multiple new records, including the "widest Hindi release of all time in India" and "highest grossing first day for a non-holiday release", the studio said in a press release.
The first day gross collection of the movie is also the "highest ever" in Shah Rukh's career as well as for John and Deepika, director Anand and YRF, the banner further said.
Industry insiders expect "Pathaan" to maintain momentum in its five-day release weekend.
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