Trade experts blame Dangal not breaking box office records on cash crunch, suggest the film will overtake Sultan in the long run
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 26, 2016)

When two films on a common setting are made, comparisons are but inevitable. The fact that one starred Salman Khan and the other, Aamir Khan, makes the debate all the more interesting. Critics are done comparing notes, and now trade hawks are keeping a keen eye on the box office.

So far, Aamir Khan’s Dangal, which hit theatres last Friday, has failed to overtake Salman’s Eid release, Sultan. On day one, Dangal made Rs 29.19 crore from its Hindi version, with an additional Rs 59 lakh from its Tamil and Telugu versions, taking the total to a solid Rs 29.78 crore. However, compared to Sultan, it fell short by nearly Rs 7 crore.

As expected, critical acclaim and word of mouth buzz boosted the business of the pre-Christmas release, but didn’t match up to Sultan’s day 2 figures. So, within the first two days, Dangal had raked in Rs 64.40 crore, about Rs 9 crore less than Sultan’s Rs 73.74 crore.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra says the industry is still reeling under the after effects of demonetization. “The collection for Dangal has been fantastic in multiplexes, but has suffered a hit in single screen theatres where a movie-goer generally buys tickets in cash,” he says.

Echoing the thought, box office pundit Amul Mohan says, “Due to note ban, smaller centres are still struggling. But, I feel that despite tough times, the collection of Dangal in the first two days is no mean feat. Salman and Aamir are in different leagues and their movie releases are like a big event, so I am sure Dangal will score well at the box office.”

Reasoning why Aamir failed to beat Salman, trade expert Komal Nahta says it’s because Dangal released on a non- holiday. “Christmas was on a Sunday, which is anyway a holiday. So, I feel Sultan had a bit of a public holiday advantage; it had hit screens on a Wednesday and then had a legit weekend to follow. But, I still feel Dangal will shatter all box office records, including that of Sultan, in the long run.”