The Indian film industry is basking in a triumphant resurgence, as the weekend of August 11–13 witnessed an unprecedented accomplishment. With the simultaneous release of four films — Hindi offerings Gadar 2 and OMG 2, Tamil spectacle Jailer and Telugu sensation Bhola Shankar — the box office attained an extraordinary collection of Rs. 390 crore, the highest recorded weekend collection in the past century.

This spectacle also united more than 2.10 crore moviegoers, solidifying itself as the most attended weekend in the last decade.

The Producers Guild of India and Multiplex Association of India also issued a statement and announced this weekend as the busiest single weekend post-re-opening. Talking to us exclusively, Producers Guild of India president, Shibasish Sarkar, says, “It’s a good sign that people are willing to come back to cinema.”

Among all other records, this weekend also shattered the notion that only major studio releases or films featuring the Khans can create box-office magic. Sunny Deol was returning to the big screen after a while, and Akshay Kumar had a string of films that didn’t hit the box office in the recent past.

Trade expert Atul Mohan notes that “all these are mass entertainers, and their record-breaking numbers prove what Indian audiences want”.

Director Anees Bazmee says, “For a long time, the industry focussed on making films for niche audience. But ek achchi film woh hai jo har tarah ki audience ko pasand aaye.” Producer Ramesh Taurani adds that makers “shouldn’t look at clashes as threats”.