Tiger 3, which released on 12 November, opened with a thunder at the ticket window. It recorded the highest-grossing Monday (for a Hindi film) in the history of Indian cinema.
Trade analyst Girish Wankhede believes the franchise power, coupled with the exhilaration around Yash Raj’s spy universe, must be credited for this. “This film had a massive opening because of its strength as a franchise. The spy universe created by Yash Raj Films has built a huge following by weaving the Tiger franchise, WAR, and Pathan. Tiger 3 was not just another Salman Khan release. It is a methodically created third instalment of a franchise from the Yash Raj banner that has never failed in this spy universe. It is an amazingly mounted action spy thriller with a quid pro quo cameo of Shah Rukh Khan to keep the audience hooked, and it paid back,” Girish notes.
He believes the calculated release date further boosted the traction of the film, which benefited from a festive weekend. “Diwali is the festive time when Indian families across the globe are on a spending spree. It is that period of the year when people prefer to spend time with their families. Watching a film with family and loved ones in a cinema hall is an unsaid tradition for most middle-class households,” he notes.
“Traditionally, from Krrish 3, Golmaal, Don to Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, the list of Diwali hits is enormous. The opening for Diwali releases is huge, and Tiger 3 is no exception, as it’s a solo release,” he adds.
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“With Pathan, Jawan, Tiger, and Dunki, this calendar year belongs to Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan,” predicts Girish, adding that the Khans just needed to re-discover themselves. “They were never out of the game. This action avatar of SRK is 2.0, which the audience across the globe lapped up. Salman Khan had a saving grace in Tiger, with great production value and YRF’s by-the-book approach to the spy universe. It’s indeed a great time for the Khans,” he adds.
Girish is confident while estimating a long run for Tiger 3 at the BO. “Tiger 3 will be the fastest to cross Rs 200-300 crores. It will continue to break several records as it’s a solo release. It will get the window up until the release of the Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Animal’ and Vicky Kaushal’s ‘Sam Bahadur’ by 1 December. Tiger 3 has a repeat value and will stay strong even in December,” he concludes.
Tiger 3 features Salman Khan in the lead alongside Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Riddhi Dogra. The film is helmed by Maneesh Sharma and released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.