Agneepath’s box-office performance should serve to uplift the morale of the trade after the terribly bad three weeks of 2012.
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It’s great that Agneepathhad opened to bumper houses because otherwise, the first month of year 2012 would’ve gone down in box-office history as an absolutely uneventful month. With the flying start the Hrithik Roshan starrer took on Thursday (26th January), it was clear that the industry had got its first success of the new year. This should serve to uplift the morale of the trade after the terribly bad three weeks of 2012. The first four days’ collections, as it is, have brought back the smiles on the faces of the exhibitors who had grown sick and tired of screening films to near-empty houses.
A few instances of how Agneepath turned the tide for the trade:
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Mahesh Desai, known in Gujarat trade circles as Desai Kaka, achieved the impossible with Agneepath. He released it in 206 (!!) centres of Gujarat on behalf of distributor Anil Thadani in a total of 258 screens. Desai Kaka did not let a single exhibitor go unhappy and obliged every exhibitor, small or big, who approached him for releasing the eagerly awaited film at his cinema. The result is for the entire trade to see. Agneepath collected Rs. 2.25 crore on the first day (26th January). Bodyguard, incidentally had collected about Rs. 1.25 crore in Gujarat on the opening day (Ramzan Eid, 2011).
Agneepath was booked at Navsari (a station of Gujarat) as late as on the day of release at 10 a.m. Yet, it opened to bumper houses at three cinemas of Navsari. It ended up collecting 1,09,685/- in 4 shows at Giriraj, 46,492/- in 4 shows at Laxmi, and 1,04,243/- (all full) in 4 shows at Jahangir. 1st day’s total from 3 cinemas: 2,60,420/- .
Agneepath has created history by drawing all 16 shows full on the opening day at Radhakrishna Big, Akola. The film was screened in all the four screens of the multiplex. It also created a theatre record by drawing all 5 shows full at Vasant, Akola. Collections: Radhakrishna Big – 2,80,528/-; Vasant – 1,00,454/-; total Rs. – 3,80,982/-.
Note: All figures in the above report are net collections in Indian rupees.
Komal Nahta, the Editor of Koimoi.com, is Bollywood’s most trusted trade analyst & film reviewer. You can follow him on Twitter and check out his Video Blog.
