FIGHTER is coming to the end of its run and has so far collected 343.50 crore worldwide with not much more to come. The film is an underperformer with overseas doing better. But the numbers do not compare well with DUNKI which did 418 crore worldwide and TIGER 3 which collected 440 crore worldwide. All three films got open runs and had holiday benefits also.

Eventually, the worldwide numbers look pretty much respectable and none of the films are major duds but there are scary circuit numbers in India especially considering the names involved in the film. If these type of big films are going to do the sort of numbers they have done in Rajasthan, Gujarat, East Punjab, CI and  Maharashtra, then there is little hope for the others at the moment unless content is excellent. DUNKI maybe has an excuse due to the genre in some of these circuits but East Punjab, where the subject has huge relatability, has not performed.

The plus for all three is overseas though despite DUNKI getting the best numbers, in reality that would be the worst overseas performer due to the expectations from Shah Rukh Khan overseas and that fact that the period was huge this year there was no SPIDER-MAN or AVATAR from Hollywood which gives screening issues in key properties in the West. For FIGHTER, it can be said it lost around 25 crore in overseas due to no Gulf release. So, fair value could be around 370 crore for its worldwide finish.

The worldwide numbers of FIGHTER till date are as follows.

India - 239.50 Crore (199.50 nett)

Overseas - 104 crore ($12.50 million)

DUNKI finally hit the 200 crore nett by the end of its fourth week though the collections of the film in week four were under 4 crore nett. The film may another 1-2 crore nett coming and that will be the end of the film. The drop in week four is around 70%.

The worldwide numbers of the film are over 400 crore which is decent but overseas had the benefit of Christmas and New Year and without that it may not have got to this mark. The film is best in Mysore (18.50 crore nett) and West Bengal (15 crore nett).

The numbers in these two circuits are more than some bigger all India grossers due to the Shah Rukh Khan factor including post pandemic releases like TIGER 3 and BRAHMASTRA.

Overall, its a so so performance for the film especially in the holiday period. If it was a non holiday period, then this number would have looked better especially considering there is not much in the film for the Hindi speaking states.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 3,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,15,00,000 apprx

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 90,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 1,10,00,000 apprx

Monday - 50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 30,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 30,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 25,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected a low 2.50 crore nett in its fourth weekend as it faced competition from new releases for the first time since release. The film is now flirting with the 200 crore nett mark and should get there by the end of the week but there will not be much coming after that.

The film will do less business than an another underperformer like TIGER 3 and it will be quite a lot short by around 60 crore nett. It will go higher than TIGER 3 in two circuits which are Mysore and West Bengal but by minimal margins.

The final business in Mumbai looks to be heading for 60 crore nett and that is with a very low Gujarat. This means it did reasonable business in Mumbai and Pune while Delhi/UP will be around 45 crore nett with reasonable numbers in Delhi City, Gurgaon and Noida. East Punjab will end up with 19 crore nett which is poor.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 3,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,15,00,000 apprx

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 90,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 1,10,00,000 apprx

Fourth Weekend - 2,50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI saw a big drop in collections as it faced new releases for the first time and it collected 50 lakhs nett on its fourth Friday. This will mean a huge drop in the fourth week but eventually it will get over the 200 crore nett mark though it may be in the fifth week.

DUNKI is now comfortably ahead of SALAAR in Hindi and even if we take the all India and all formats collections of the latter, then they are pretty much similar to DUNKI. The film dod around 19 crore nett in Mysore and 15 crore nett in West Bengal and these are the best circuits even though these numbers today are very low for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer in these two places.

The film will fail to hit 20 crore nett in East Punjab as collections stand at 18 crore nett after three weeks and this was the circuit where the subject was most relatable. But subject being relatable does not mean the public will turn up in cinemas. This circuit probably had to hit 50 crore nett for the film to have any chance of a 400 crore nett lifetime total.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 3,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,15,00,000 apprx

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected a low 14 crore nett in its third week and the total collections of the film stand at around 197 crore nett. The film has seen a 67% drop in the third week which is not that bad considering week two had the holiday factor and the main problem is that second week with the holiday factor was low as was the first week.

The film will fail to hit 20 crore nett in East Punjab as collections stand at 18 crore nett after three weeks and this was the circuit where the subject was most relatable. But subject being relatable does not mean the public will turn up in cinemas. This circuit probably had to hit 50 crore nett for the film to have any chance of a 400 crore nett lifetime total.

The clash has hurt numbers in South although it will do around 40 crore nett in South India. But those films which are now getting higher contributions from South will have to seek to avoid releasing with films from the South. The South numbers of PATHAAN, JAWAN and ANIMAL would not have happened if there was a SALAAR (or similar film) around at that time..

The performance of the Gujrat is a very dull and bit of a shocker for a big cast film with some comedy element in it. The film should cross the 200 crore nett mark sometime in its fourth week and maybe even over the fourth weekend though there is a reduction of shows.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 3,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,15,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 9 crore nett on its third weekend to take its total to 192 crore nett for seventeen days. There is a 65% drop from the last weekend which will be bigger over the week as it was an extended weekend last week.

The film will comfortably go over the 200 crore nett mark but that will be it for the film as there are limited collections in mass circuits. Where it could have got bigger numbers in South, it has been held back due to SALAAR though even still Mysore is the best performer. The collections are dull in Punjab, Gujarat and CP, CI.

The film is also looking at just 1 crore footfalls which is will less than one third of JAWAN (Hindi). This sort of genre was getting 3 crore plus before the pandemic which probably looks impossible today but you never say never as if we go back a couple of years, it looked pretty impossible that 3 crore footfalls would be seen again for any genre but a couple of films have managed that now.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 3,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,00,00,000 apprx

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DUNKI finally hit the 400 crore gross mark worldwide as it comes towards the end of its run. The overseas numbers have crossed the $20 million mark but this is where the real disappointment of the film is as in India, there was always the film could go this way due to how the mass circuits are behaving.

A TIGER 3 reached 260 crore nett and DUNKI with a clash had to be pretty good to cross the numbers of the Salman Khan starrer. But in overseas, Shah Rukh Khan is a one man show and on top of it, you have the best period of Christmas and New Year. If that was not all, there was not even a Christmas type of huge blockbuster film from Hollywood which can cause showcasing issues in the the western markets.

The collections in United Kingdom are just £1.57 million and this over Christmas and New Year is horrible for an SRK film especially as the circuits is now far better than the last few years pre-pandemic. But here, it may well be a case of a 15 certificate but US/Canada at $8.25 million and Gulf at around $4.5 million are not much better. Gulf will only do roughly 35% of the numbers of PATHAAN and JAWAN.

The overseas figures still would have been passable if they had come outside this period but now with not much to come, the film is a major underperformer in Overseas for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer.

The worldwide numbers of DUNKI after the first weekend are as follows.

India - 231 Crore (193 nett)

Overseas - 169 crore ($20.25 million)

DUNKI went down post the holiday period as it collected 3.75 crore nett on its second Tuesday which means the second week is heading for a total of around  44-45 crore nett. The collections will be below 200 crore nett after two weeks when this should have actually been covered in the first week.

The lifetime of the film is dependent on the third Friday. If it can hold around the 3 ctore nett mark, then at least there is a little trend for the film for the film to keep going till January end. The film was a huge test for the social drama genre with big names like Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkumar Hirani toplining it and it has not made the mark. But it remains to be seen where the genre can go today and can it still go to the 300 crore nett mark like it was before the pandemic

It probably can with the right film but going forward the issue will be that the bigger stars will be reluctant to work in the genre as the biggest names are only getting a 200 crore nett number and it will be less than DRISHYAM 2 which is not exactly same genre but a film on similar lines. The problem may have been its a drama/comedy which was not the case with DRISHYAM 2. Maybe today a comedy has to go more towards a mass commercial entertainer rather than drama if it has stars in it and pressure of high numbers.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday -  10,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------

DUNKI continued to go down post the holiday period as it fell around 20% on Wednesday to collect 3 crore nett. This takes the film to almost 190 crore nett apprx and the second week looks to be heading for around 42 crore nett plus which would be lower than the likes of ROCKY AUR RANI KII PREM KAHAANI and maybe lower than the OMG 2

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday -  10,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 8.25 crore nett on New Years Day which takes the total collection of the film to 183 crore nett but it will see collections at lower levels from here on and there is not a big number up on the board as yet.

The best performance for the film is likely to be Mysore where it should cross the 20 crore nett mark which is very good number for before the pandemic as PK was 24 crore and Dangal was 28 crore nett which were similar films. But numbers post pandemic are much better with a JAWAN going to almost 50 crore nett. The next best is probably West Bengal but here the film could still have done higher numbers going by the opening day.

The second week so far stands at around 34 crore nett. So, the 50 crore nett mark will be tough for the film in the second week but it could do around 45 crore nett depending on the hold on Tuesday. The drops are big today but now its normal working days and it's mainly about the evening shows in the big centres. 

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday -  10,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 25 crore nett plus in its second weekend with a double digit Sunday which has now taken the film to a 175 crore nett. The second week will get the benefit of a holiday on Monday and yet, second week will see mid level numbers at under 50 crore nett.

The numbers in West Bengal and Mysore can be called good but its good for any other star and not Shah Rukh Khan in these circuits as his benchmarks are much higher. The problem for the film are the collections in the North where East Punjab will stay below 20 crore nett and Delhi UP may just about get 50 crore nett.

These areas had to drive the film as relatability was most likely to come in these parts but barring the NCR area, the performance is pretty dull and even in NCR, its the bigger properties that had collections. The fact that a film like SALAAR is collecting better in the cities of UP and the big Punjab centres see just a 10% gap shows how much cinema has changed today and this is with SALAAR also not finding much appreciation.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday -  10,75,00,000 appr

DUNKI showed limited growth for a second Saturday which again was likely as the film is in that holiday period where the weekend multiplex audience is catching it on other days due to the holiday period. The collections on the second Saturday were 8.50 crore nett which is around 30% up from the previous day.

The film should get two more two more days where it adds well to the collections but post that, it will be harder. The numbers in West Bengal and Mysore can be called good but its good for any other star and not Shah Rukh Khan in these circuits as his benchmarks are much higher.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 6.50 crore nett on its second Friday which is a fair hold from Thursday but the problem is the film should have been collecting at much higher levels. You can get away with the opening of this type of film yas its never going to bust the box office initially especially in todays time. But by the second week, it had to come into its own which has not happened.

DUNKI had to be in double digits on the second Friday at the very least and its well short of that. The film has managed to reach 155 crore nett and the second Friday probably ensures a 200 crore nett total for the film but how much higher it can go will depend on where the film lands on the day after New Years Day.

The film is not a FLOP on the numbers coming be it India or overseas but its a huge underperformer for the names involved. The opening is not up to the mark of a Shah Rukh Khan film and the content has not worked like a Rajkumar Hirani film. The change in box office dynamics post pandemic is also a huge reason for this but that's how it works out sometimes as the audience moves on while the content has not.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 7.50 crore nett on Thursday to take its overall total to 149 crore nett in its extended first week. The film is trending pretty well and should have decent enough totals and growth over the second weekend. The lifetime of the film is dependent on where collections land after New Years Day.

The film has under performed for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer but the film is in New Years period and it still continue to put up some decent numbers till New Years day especially over the weekend when business in multiplexes jump.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

TOTAL - 1,49,00,00,000 apprx

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DUNKI grossed 300 crore plus worldwide in its extended first week as Overseas markets held well on weekdays due to the holiday period. The film has healthy numbers in North America and Australia though Gulf and United Kingdom could had been better. The latter probably lagged behind due to 15 certification which is there in some other countries as well but UK probably has the bigger traditional family audience.

The film should score another strong weekend in week two due to the holidays but there is likely to be huge drop post New Years Day. The target is probably to get to around the $25 million mark but everything depends on the second weekend. If this happens, it will mean a good performance in Overseas though obviously not for the period as the potential for the film was huge.

If the $25 million can come from Overseas, then its possible the film could go to around 450 crore worldwide which would be more than BRAHMASTRA and WAR. But it is just the overseas numbers over Christmas and New Year period which will give the film a somewhat better look compared to those films.

The worldwide numbers of DUNKI after the first weekend are as follows.

India - 179 Crore (149.50 nett)

Overseas - 122 crore ($14.75 million)

DUNKI collected a fair 8.50 crore nett on its first Wednesday which takes the film to first week total of 141 crore nett plus. The extended weekend will short fall a little short of 150 crore nett. Overall its fair results for the film mainly due to the presence of Shah Rukh Khan and the holiday period. The film itself has not found many takers.

The film has under performed for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer but the film is in New Years period and it will continue to put up some decent numbers till New Years day especially over the weekend when business in multiplexes jump. 

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

TOTAL - 1,41,50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 9.50 crore nett on its first Tuesday which is a drop of a little over 50% from Friday but the film is down from its first day. The total collections of the film are at around 133 crore nett and the extended first week is looking to go to around 155 crore depending on the drops over the next few days.

The film has under performed for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer but the film is in New Years period and it will continue to put up some decent numbers till New Years day especially over the weekend when business in the multiplexes jump.

The film basically illustrates that the biggest stars that want numbers cant really go outside the action genre today and this is for every single star as pick up films miss opening the numbers and post pandemic, the question is can films actually pick up from these 20-30 cr levels. DUNKI was the test and it has failed on that probably due to content and its unlikely that there will be a film of this level in this genre for sometime.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

DUNKI collected 22 crore nett on the Christmas holiday which is a decent collection. However, there is a drop of  nearly 25% from Sunday when the norm would probably be around 10-15% from a Sunday to a national holiday on Monday.

The five day collections are 123 crore nett for five days which is decent but a good total would have been around 150 crore nett. Obviously, some films have gone well over 200 crore nett in five days but this was never that type of film. A 150 crore nett total could have happened if the film had some mass support or word of mouth was better in the metros.

The film continues to fetch good numbers in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Bangalore but that is not good enough. A circuit like East Punjab, where the film is based, is only 50% better than a south mass film like SALAAR when it should be doing three times the numbers or close. It goes down to the Tuesday and a hold here can mean some decent collections till the New Year.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

DUNKI has done well in its first weekend with a 100 crore nett plus extended weekend though expectations were higher within the industry due to the director Rajkumar Hirani and the star presence of Shah Rukh Khan. But the genre, which is a mix of a drama with comedy, was always going to make it tough as those expectations were too high.

The box office today is changed from the pre pandemic days as mass circuits have to score for big numbers and here appreciation in mass areas was not there on release and nor were the numbers. Due to the release of SALAAR, it also made it hard for South to compensate some of these lower numbers in Hindi circuits though going by the Sunday numbers in Mysore, DUNKI could give SALAAR a run for its money post the weekend.

Despite SALAAR being big in South, the better numbers for DUNKI have still come from South as well as West Bengal and Delhi NCR. There will be another good total coming on Monday due to the Christmas holiday and then its about that crucial Tuesday. There is another long weekend waiting  in week two with no major new release if it can hold over the weekdays.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 29,00,00,000 apprx

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DUNKI collected 201 crore worldwide over the first weekend as overseas pretty much like India was not up to the mark for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer. The India box office was always going to be tough but Overseas should have done better as that genre issue is less and makes less of a difference in Overseas. In fact a few years back, the genre would have been a plus for overseas.

The best circuit is probably Australia where it has the fifth highest opening ever while Gulf at around $2.25 million is well short of expectations. North America and UK should also be higher but there you have the Christmas and New Year factor at play over the next few days and second weeeknd.

The plus in overseas is the period is very strong in most of the major circuits due to which the film still go and put up a healthy lifetime total. In US/Canada, the film is behind SALAAR at the moment and the target there should be to at least finish better than that film.

The worldwide numbers of DUNKI after the first weekend are as follows.

India - 122 Crore (101.50 nett)

Overseas - 79 crore ($9.5 million)

DUNKI had a fair Saturday as it collected 24.50 crore nett though it would have been better if the collections went to its first day number. The Friday numbers gave that a chance as it needed 40% growth on Saturday which is very much possible for a film that releases on Thursday. The growth came in around at 25% for the film on Saturday which is fair.

The little plus is that the three main circuits of Mumbai, Delhi/UP and East Punjab all went to the Friday number and in fact were all a little higher. The main issue is South which is well short of day one numbers due to SALAAR which was not there on the first day. West Bengal is also less but that circuit is recording good numbers. The rest of the markets like CP, CI and Bihar were also going to be a tough ask for the film and that is pretty much what has happened and they are not doing well.

The film has collected 72.50 crore nett in three days which is good number for film itself but it has big star like Shah Rukh Khan where expectations are huge and its not lived to up to those. Also with a film like this which has a big star but is never going to set the box office on fire initially, you need universal appreciation and its not here with DUNKI, especially with the mass audiences.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 24,50,00,000 apprx

------------------------------------

DUNKI finished just outside the top ten for the highest weekend totals post pandemic as it collected 72.50 crore nett which was the eleventh highest first three day total post pandemic. If we take out the dubbed films, then its in ninth position.

The numbers post pandemic have gone very high with six films crossing 125 crore nett post pandemic but these are probably not the best comparisons with DUNKI as it has a big difference in the type. The weekend of '83 was 44 crore nett and DRISHYAM 2 was 62 crore nett, and these are probably comparable in terms of genre but then these don't have a star like Shah Rukh Khan.

Basically collections below illustrate how box office is working post pandemic and where the numbers are at and you don't need to be that clever to work out what type of films are working and working in a big way.

The top Hindi opening weekends post pandemic in India of all time are as follows.

1. Jawan (Hindi)- 1,75,14,00,000

2.  Animal (Hindi) - 1,65,59,00,000

3. Pathaan (Hindi) - 1,60,57,00,000

4. KGF - Chapter 2 (Hindi) - 1,40,45,00,000

5. Tiger 3 (Hindi) - 1,38,56,00,000

6. Gadar 2 - 1,32,47,00,000

7. Brahmastra (Hindi)- 1,02,58,00,000

8. Adipurush (Hindi) - 95,58,00,000

9. Sooryavanshi - 76,78,00,000

10. RRR (Hindi) - 74,78,00,000

DUNKI collected 20 crore nett on the second day which is a good hold due to the loss of screens and a huge drop in South India due to the release of SALAAR. It had a heavy ratio from South of 15% on day one which is double the average for a Hindi a film as Shah Rukh Khan has a bigger following in South. This sort of drop is normal when there is no release on the day after. No doubt the hold would have been much better with no release on Friday.

The Saturday is the important day for the film as the hold on day two gives it a chance to get back to the Thursday number or even go higher. If the film manages that, then it would put itself in good position for the holiday period. The film is lacking numbers in mass pockets and this was always likely to happen. But Saturday is the day for the bigger multiplexes and bigger centres and they are the key to where DUNKI goes.

The film has seen a huge drop in Nizam/Andhra and the other strong areas like West Bengal and Mysore also saw drops. Yet, the numbers are still good; Delhi NCR was strong on day two and this is likely to be the best area for the film. The film stands at 48 crore nett after two days which is good collections for the genre and film but not for a Shah Rukh Khan starrer post PATHAAN and JAWAN.

The collections of DUNKI till date are as follows.

Thursday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

DUNKI scored well on its first day with collections of 28 crore nett driven by business in the South and West Bengal and good support in Delhi NCR and Mumbai city while other areas saw very average collections. For a Shah Rukh Khan film. they can even be called low.

The standout was West Bengal as it was around the 2.50 crore nett mark. Despite the film having a Punjabi flavour, which is not a strong point for West Bengal, it still managed huge collections though not as high as JAWAN or PATHAAN as they went over the 3 crore nett mark. The fact is though West Bengal was more than East Punjab for a film with a Punjabi flavour and that is the strength of Shah Rukh Khan in this circuit.

As mentioned before, these numbers may seem low but are good for the genre and in time its quite possible that people will see these numbers as excellent as its likely to become even harder for initial numbers for films without those huge commercial elements of big action or hit music. If both get combined, then the sky is the limit.

DUNKI has a good platform with its first day collections and despite SALAAR releasing on day two and a reduction of shows, the film is holding up well on the second day which goes well for its extended first weekend which will be over five days. Even after that, the holiday period remains which normally elevates the collections.

There will be a bigger fall in the South as SALAAR is huge there and DUNKI was doing best in South after West Bengal. But the more important markets like North India and Mumbai city are holding well on the second day. The film also scored big numbers in Overseas and there is the Christmas and New Year period to come which will ensure huge numbers in overseas though not as big as JAWAN and PATHAAN.

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DUNKI recorded the ninth highest opening day post pandemic but except for GADAR 2, all the films higher than DUNKI are big budget action or spectacle films. GADAR 2 was just a different animal altogether even without much of a budget.

The opening of DUNKI is illustrated better with what similar type of films have opened post the pandemic and for that, we have to go see the numbers of films like DRISHYAM 2 and '83 which are roughly 15 crore nett and 12 crore nett respectively. Even here DRISHYAM 2 got the benefit of a franchise film and '83 had the budget and hype but collections were just 12 crore nett.

This not to say that the DUNKI collections are great but just to show the difficult fight that films that don't have wide appeal face at the box office today. The last few years have seen multiplexes crop up a lot in the smaller centres which has enabled certain films to go to very high levels. But the flip side is the fact that certain type of films will not get much collections in these places and in the bigger centres, they lost a lost audience to streaming.

The numbers that have come for DUNKI are mainly due to the presence of Shah Rukh Khan but despite this, it has not hit the expectations from an SRK starrer. The simple reason for this is simply genre and when a Shah Rukh Khan film with Rajkumar Hirani cannot reach 30 crore nett, then its means a tough ride for opening numbers with big stars outside the action genre today who need the initials. The films probably have to be made with lesser stars where the initial is not a must.

The top opening day numbers post pandemic are as follows.

1. Jawan  - 63,87,00,000

2. Pathaan - 55,72,00,000

3. KGF 2 - Chapter (Hindi) - 52,39,00,000

4.  Animal - 51,47,00,000 

5. Tiger 3 - 40,88,00,000

6. Gadar 2 - 38,96,00,000

7. Adipurush (Hindi) - 31,73,00,000

8. Brahmastra - 30,37,00,000

10. Sooryavanshi - 26,11,00,000

11. RRR (Hindi) - 19,38,00,000

12. Drishyam - 14,92,00,000

13. Ram Setu - 14,71,00,000

14. Tu Jhooti Mai Makkaar - 13,98,00,000

15. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan - 13,39,00,000

16. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 - 13,31,00,000

17. Bachchhan Paandey - 12,18,00,000

18. '83 - 11,96,00,000

19. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani - 10,20,00,000

20. Bholaa - 10,12,00,000