Mohit Suri's Saiyaara set the box office on fire. At a time when big-ticket Hindi films are falling flat, sequels don't even guarantee success, a romantic film, led by two newcomers, brought back the audience to theatres. The film's collections have already been impacted by another sleeper hit Mahavatar Narsimha. Will the Independence Day big releases War 2 and Coolie change the course of the Saiyaara storm? NDTV spoke to trade experts.
Saiyaara's domestic collections now stand at Rs 321.35 after 26 days of its release. The film has already crossed the Rs 500 crore mark globally. When we ask trade expert Komal Nahta if the Saiyaara craze will be on the wane, he says, "It's been already. With Coolie and War 2 releasing in theatres, Saiyaara will now be the fourth choice. Don't forget Mahavir Narshimha has been doing well at the box office."
Echoing the similar sentiment, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tells NDTV, "Mahavir Narshimha has already impacted the Saiyaara box office. I feel, Saiyaara will continue to run in theatres. But Coolie and War 2 will dominate the box office."
The Mahavatar Narsimha Factor
Released one week after Saiyaara, the animated mythological action film Mahavatar Narsimha, directed by Ashwin Kumar, minted magic numbers at the box office. In week one, the film minted Rs 44.75 crore, with Hindi contributing Rs 32.45 crore at the box office. In week two, the collections reached upto Rs 73.4 crore.
After third Monday, the earnings stand at Rs 174.9 crore in total. In its third week, Saiyaara minted Rs 28.25 crore in collection. The third-week collection drastically dropped as the film minted Rs 107.75 crore in its second week. Saiyaara smashed the box office with a staggering Rs 172 crore in week one.
The Saiyaara Storm
- Blame it on the promotional stunt, a stroke of luck or timing, Saiyaara set an unprecedented record of being the highest-earning romantic film in the history of Hindi cinema. The lead stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda are already declared the IMDB Breakout stars of the year. Ajay Devgn's Son Of Sardaar 2 changed its release date to avoid the Saiyaara tsunami.
- Son Of Sardaar 2, later, released with Dhadak 2 on August 1. Both the films failed to make a mark in terms of business.
- Saiyaara released on July 18. Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor's Param Sundari was supposed to release on July 25, but the film pushed its release date in August.
- For two weeks, Saiyaara enjoyed a free run at the box office with no big Hindi film releasing in theatres.
- Saiyaara also beat the collections of some of the recent releases with big stars leading the charge. The list includes names like Akshay Kumar's franchise hit Housefull 5 (Rs 183 crore), Ajay Devgn's formula hit Raid 2 (Rs 173 crore), and Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par (Rs 163 crore) which is touted as the spiritual sequel to the 2007 film Taare Zameen Par.
About Coolie And War 2
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie marks Rajinikanth's 171st film. The movie also features Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir and Sathyaraj in key roles. Aamir Khan will make a cameo appearance in the film. Coolie is produced by Kalanithi Maran's Sun Pictures.
War 2 marks the first collaboration between Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. The film also features Kiara Advani in a key role. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, War 2 is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster of the same name. The action thriller is part of YRF's spy thriller universe and is produced by the studio.
The Final Words
With the arrival of Coolie and War 2, will Saiyaara be able to hold its momentum? Let's wait and watch.
Also Read | Who Is Winning The Coolie vs War 2 Advance Booking Fight? Trade Experts Tell NDTV
