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Led by Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer and Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2, box office in India reached record-breaking numbers this weekend. According to the Producers Guild of India and Multiplex Association of India, the August 11-13 frame was the busiest single weekend since the beginning of the pandemic. What’s more, across three days, ticket sales hit more than 390 crore ($47M), a new all-time theatrical gross record for the biggest combined weekend in history.
Also figuring in the mix of releases this session were two other new titles: Akshay Kumar-starrer OMG 2 and Meher Ramesh’s Bhola Shankar featuring Chiranjeevi. Holdovers included Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer which counts India as its 5th biggest offshore market.
In total this weekend, Indian turnstiles saw over 2.1 crore admissions (21M), the biggest number of the past decade. This is all in advance of Tuesday’s Independence Day holiday. Per local reports, Jailer grossed an estimated $19.5M while Gadar 2 did $18.3M, the former over a four-day debut and the latter in a three-day bow.
Outside of India, Jailer’s four-day opening grossed an estimated $15.75M, according to Pink Villa which says this its the best international debut for a Tamil film and the fourth biggest ever for any Indian title. As Deadline reported Sunday, the action thriller landed in the Top 10 at the North American box office. Written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, it’s the highest grossing Tamil film so far this year.
Gadar 2, starring Sunny Deol, saw a weekend debut of $1.135M in North America. The sequel to Gadar Ek Prem Katha is set in 1971, amidst the backdrop of the partition of Bangladesh and East Pakistan.
Commenting on the success at home, Shibasish Sarkar, President of the Producers Guild of India, said, “Mainstream storytelling executed in the right way has resulted in box office records being shattered. A massive achievement like this is a result of an incredible filmmaking team, with cast and crew coming together to create a truly special moviegoing experience. The turnout at theaters has infused a new energy in our industry, audiences are responding in numbers we have not seen for a very long time, even the early morning shows are getting sold out. This weekend has been a wonderful experience for people who love the mainstream Indian films.”
Added Multiplex Association President Kamal Gianchandani, “It was a historic weekend, it proves once again that India loves going to the movies to see great films. This weekend is also an undeniable demonstration of cinemas being the ultimate place to be part of a shared experience. Cinemas across the country would like to thank and congratulate our filmmakers and studios for pushing the boundaries to deliver unforgettable storytelling. This weekend shows that movies and cinemas are back in a big, big way. We look forward to this momentum continuing the rest of 2023.”