New Delhi: Jawan is reaching the theatres only this Thursday, but the Shah Rukh Khan starrer is likely to achieve something that only Southern cinema spectacles have managed so far: Securing a blockbuster opening outside their home regions.
The film has garnered substantial bookings not only in the north but across south India as well. Directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee and starring southern stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, the action drama is estimated to fetch record opening day collections of around ₹65-70 crore across the country. BookMyShow alone has seen 750,000 bookings so far.
The popularity of the film, whose Hindi version has garnered significant interest even in the southern and eastern regions, is expected to aid the revival of small-town, single-screen cinemas that have shown signs of recovery thanks to Gadar 2.
Unlike Gadar 2, however, Jawan will have a solo release across 4,500-5,000 screens in India with trade analysts estimating first-day numbers to cross Khan’s previous release Pathaan, which had made around ₹55 crore on its opening day this January, the highest for a Hindi film so far.
“Buzz around the film is very positive and we’re expecting it to cross Pathaan’s opening day numbers,” Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director, PVR Inox Ltd, said. The firm, which has a total capacity of 1 million seats available across the country for the first day, has already sold 25% of it, which Bijli termed as very healthy. While the Hindi version should lead revenues with a 70% share, the dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions should bring in the remaining 30%. Further, while there are some restrictions in the capital owing to the G20 summit, Bijli said only four cinemas in central Delhi with a seating capacity of 300 each would remain shut over the next few days.
Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India, agreed enthusiasm for Jawan is not limited to the north; it’s also evident in the south, where the film is releasing in both Tamil and Telugu. “The presence of superstars like Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi has further fuelled the anticipation around the movie in the south,” Sampat added.
Single-screen theatre owners said the film has adopted the South Indian movie template of catering to the lowest common denominator, with action, drama and other commercial elements making for a complete package. Films like Pathaan and Gadar 2 have recently shown the potential box office that filmmakers were leaving on the table by targeting up-market, urban audiences but the lesson seems to have finally hit home. As a result, in an unusual occurrence for a Bollywood title, metros like Delhi and Mumbai will start shows for Jawan as early as 6am on Thursday. Plus, with the southern faces on board, the film has garnered the highest buzz till date for a Hindi language offering in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
To be sure, there has been some criticism around premium pricing, especially for formats like IMAX and ICE that the film is releasing in. However, Bijli said the average ticket price for the action drama should be around ₹ 350 across formats.
Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow, said the 750,000 tickets already booked on the platform highlight the escalating interest in the film. “As screens open up for advance bookings in various cities, the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film are also garnering enthusiastic support, although the Hindi version is naturally taking the lead. What is interesting to note is that the Hindi language version of the film has seen maximum interest from markets in South and East India such as Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai, among others. Except for Shah Rukh Khan, the entire realm of the film, including the cast, storyline, cinematography and overall treatment, bears a strong imprint of South Indian influence,” Saksena said.
Theatres across metros and non-metros such as Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bhubaneswar, Pune and Kochi lead advance tickets booked for the film, along with the South and East India markets, with near equal interest from audiences opting to watch it at a single-screen theatre and multiplexes, Saksena said.
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Updated: 05 Sep 2023, 11:51 PM IST
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