Tiger 3 Day 1 Box Office Controversy Resolved by YRF: Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan Achieved 500 Crore+ With the Same Formula, Trusting in Salman Khan’s Stardom!
When Salman Khan fans and the world found out that Tiger 3 was being released on a Sunday, the first day of Diwali (when many perform Lakshmi Puja in the evening), all hell broke loose. Debates erupted among SK fan clubs and “Twitter trade experts” about why Yash Raj Films was ruining the film’s chances of a massive opening day.
Many opinions emerged, with some arguing that the makers should have released the film a day later on Monday, a national holiday, or on a Saturday to take advantage of the weekend. However, Yash Raj Films remained confident and decided to replicate their strategy with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan, which was released on the first day of Diwali (Tuesday, November 13th) in 2012.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan grossed around 15 crores on its opening day in Diwali 2012, which would be around 33-35 crores in today’s currency (adjusted for inflation). This is a significant amount, so if Yash Raj Films has cracked the formula once before, why should we expect them to go wrong this time?
YRF’s Vice President of Distribution, Rohan Malhotra, has stepped forward to address the release date controversy, shedding light on the decision to release the film on what many deem as the ‘weakest day.’ This choice was made to prevent Salman Khan from achieving an overwhelming 50-60 crore kind of opening day.
During a discussion with News18, Rohan expressed supreme confidence in Tiger 3, emphasizing their reliance on Salman Khan’s stardom to make a significant impact. Drawing parallels, he cited the example of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan (also produced by YRF), which was intentionally released on 25th January, bypassing the Republic Day, a national holiday.
Rohan acknowledged the potential of releasing Pathaan on 26th January for substantial earnings. However, recognizing the eagerness of Shah Rukh Khan’s fans to watch the film, they strategically chose to capitalize on it. The rationale was clear: ‘Why forgo even a single day that could contribute to the overall collection by chasing opening day records?’ Consequently, they released the film on 25th January, raking in an unprecedented 57 crores (across all languages) on day 1 in India.
