Just few months ago cinegoers and trade analyst were wondering if Bollywood will be able produce a film in the next couple of years that can at least take the silver medal by overthrowing KGF: Chapter 2 in the race of highest grosser Hindi film. S.S. Rajamauli’s Bahubali: Chapter 2 currently holds that throne by earning whooping Rs. 515 crores. And KGF: Chapter 2 which earned Rs. 435 crores is at the second position. After witnessing how 2022 has turned out to be the worst year for Bollywood, everybody thought that at least these two positions are safe for next few years.
But here we are in February 2023, just one month after a year that will probably go down as one of the worst years in Bollywood history, and it seems Bollywood has already made a roaring comeback with none other than Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. On the 15th day of it’s release, Pathaan is set to cross the KGF: Chapter 2’s lifetime Hindi box office collection- which seemed like an impossible task just few weeks ago. Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham starrer Pathaan, whose Hindi version has grossed Rs. 430 crores in India till February 7, is set to overtake KGF Chapter 2’s lifetime Hindi box office collection of Rs 435 crores and take over the second position today.
But now the real question is- Can Pathaan dethrone Bahubali 2 which is holding the position of Highest grosser Hindi film for almost five years and become the highest grossing Hindi language film in India?
The way things are going it doesn’t look too difficult, especially considering the fact that, it needs to only put another 85-90 crores in it’s kitty to finally wear the crown of ‘Highest grossing Hindi film of all time’. But it’s also not too simple. It needs to overcome few obstacles to achieve this goal. The first obstacle is the competition from other big releases. Pathaan had a free run at the ticket window as there was no big release in last couple of weeks, but this free run will soon end as two big and highly anticipated films are scheduled to release next week on February 17- Kartik Aryan, Kriti Sanon starrer Shehzada and MCU’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Both films will take most number of screens, hence if Pathaan has to sit on the throne of Highest grosser Hindi film of all time, it needs to achieve that goal before February 17.
Another obstacle in achieving this goal would be the easy access to all important key plot details of Pathaan on social media and internet. And to make matters worse Boycott Bollywood gang is intentionally spreading spoilers on social media. In spy thriller films, important twist and turn and mystery are major points of enjoyment. But because now all the important key plot details of the film are already available at your fingertips, there is some chance that people might not be too eager to visit the theatre to watch Pathaan anymore.
Even if Pathaan doesn’t manage to achieve this task, it has already achieved even more important goal- to instill confidence in Bollywood filmmakers that people are still eager to watch their movies as long as they deliever quality content. And this is even more valuable than sitting on the throne of Highest grosser Hindi film of all time. Now the only question is, which film will take the baton forward? And there are several contenders including Shah Rukh’s own Jawan and Dunki, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa, and Maidaan, Ranveer-Alia’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, Prabhas’s Adipurush and others.
Also read: Pathaan’s Collection Comes Down To Single Digit On Second Monday