Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is back in theatres with his new film Jawan and the Hindi movie has surpassed all trade expectations to score a huge opening of $15.6 million global gross. The film marks Khan’s first collaboration with Tamil stars Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, and director Atlee. Jawan also features Ridhi Dogra, Deepika Padukone, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani and Sunil Grover in important roles.
The original Hindi version of Jawan made nett collections of $7.9 million in India alone while the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions collected $650,000 and $420,000 respectively in the country. The total India gross collection of the film (all languages combined) stands at $10.8 million. Toppling Pathaan, Jawan is now the biggest opening Hindi film ever. Prior to the release, film trade analysts expected Jawan to make a $10 million global opening, given the huge buzz and upward advance bookings weeks ahead of the release.
In the US markets, the film has made $1.3 million while the film collected $250,000 and $150,000 in Australia and Germany respectively. The UK markets also contributed $250,000 to the global collection of Jawan.
A 10,000-screens-wide global release of Jawan majorly helped in the massive opening it registered on Thursday. In the Hindi belts of India alone, Jawan is being screened across 5000 screens. Additionally, 4000 screens have been allotted to the film outside India while a thousand screens cover the south Indian regions in India.
Jawan is headlined by one of the biggest global stars from India and Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan. It also stars major south Indian stars Viojay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, apart from cameos by Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt. Producer and film business expert Girish Johar says the packaging of the film ensures all that stardom is used with a global view. “Shah Rukh Khan is again playing ‘watch me on the big screen’ with limited appearance, media interviews and promotional tours. That worked in Pathaan, and will work this time as well. That is what stardom is, that was diminished over the past few years with social media and paparazzi appareances. I also beliueve the packaging is unique. It has 80-90% south India tehcnicians, it has been packaged like a global film. That will be an edge above the previous films – it is not just a Bollywood or south Indian stars.” He adds that the music could have added to the score had it been tuned to a more catching tune.
Talking about the huge footfall in theatres, PVR-INOX Co-CEO Gautam Dutta says in a press release that he is overwhelmed by the love and response that Jawan received on the first day. “It proves the significance and might of mass entertainers in the film industry. With the movie also being screened in special formats like IMAX, 4DX and ICE, audiences are enjoying the larger-than-life story telling in a more experiential manner.” He adds that the film’s collections will not only make it the biggest film of 2023, but also controbute to the cinema ecosystem.
For India, Thursday was a holiday on the ocassion of Janamashtami and that makes for an extended weekend. However, the biggest circuit for film business in India – Delhi region, may be adversely affected due to the travel restrictions because of the G-20 summit being held in the national capital. Executive Director of PVR INOX Ltd Sanjeev Kumar Bijli says the timing of the release of Jawan is well-utilized. He believes the restrictions may not have a big negative impact on the collections, given that the cinemas will be up and running and people can choose to watch Jawan in nearby theatres instead of travelling far.
COO of the cinema chain Miraj Entertainment Limited Bhuvnesh Mendiratta shares the thrill and excitement. “With a footfall of around 1.25 lakh on its opening day and a nett collection of approximately $7.9 million, the movie has truly captured the hearts of our audience. The average occupancy level of 70% and evening shows boasting an impressive 90% occupancy in key markets at Miraj are a testament to its widespread appeal. The strong bookings for the entire weekend further highlight its incredible popularity. The film’s exceptional performance is not limited to a specific region; it has resonated strongly across the country, with the South and Eastern sectors leading the way. With outstanding reviews and the potential to run for 4-5 weeks, Jawan is poised to become the biggest blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema.”
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