From 2016 to 2026: Here's how Bollywood films fared on every Independence Day weekend in the last 10 years
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
The Independence Day weekend, historically, has been one reserved for big, tentpole films. As Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 gears up for a clash with Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 this year, here's a lowdown on how the lucrative rollout window has fared for Hindi films in the last 10 years
Adding to this, Stills from Stree 2, Gadar 2, Mission Mangal. (all figures all India collections) :
Meanwhile, It was termed a battle of the titans, as Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan both were ready with their films in the weekend leading up to Independence Day. Akshay’s movie was based on the sensational, real-life Nanavati case, while Hrithik’s was a love story set in the times of the Mohenjodaro civilisation. Akshay won, with Rustom garnering not just ₹ 127 crores in ticket sales in India, but also fetching him a National Award for Best Star. Mohenjodaro, on the other hand, collected ₹ 58 crores (all-India) and sealed its fate.
Notably, Akshay Kumar was truly on a golden streak back then, with back to back hit films to his credit. Amidst this came Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, emphasising on the need for better sanitation measures in the country. Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the movie was a big success, collecting ₹ 134 crores across India. It was even lauded by the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and billionaire businessman & philanthropist Bill Gates.
As per the latest buzz, The National Holiday saw two films, both possessing patriotic flavor, locking horns. John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee faced off against each other in Satyameva Jayate, while off screen it was John versus Akshay Kumar’s Gold. The latter was a sports drama, based on India’s national hockey team’s journey to the 1948 Summer Olympics. SJ collected ₹ 80 crores, and Gold collected ₹ 104 crores, both ultimately managing to attract ample audiences to the theatres.
In further updates, Akshay vs John, second year in a row! 2019 was a repeat of 2018, as the two stars decided to rollout their films on the same Independence Day weekend. This time, both their films had a real-life connect. Mission Mangal, a multi-starrer, was about India’s first interplanetary expedition, the Mars Orbiter Mission, while Batla House was based on the 2008 encounter at Batla House in Mumbai. Both films worked, with Akshay’s movie earning ₹ 203 crores, and John’s movie collecting ₹ 87 crores.
On top of that, This year, the Covid pandemic affected life everywhere. With movie theatres shut down, it was left to OTT to entertain people within their homes. Vidyut Jammwal’s Khuda Haafiz rolled out on JioHotstar (then Disney+ Hotstar).
2022 saw people returning to theatres, but the weekend leading up to Independence Day was a let down. Two superstars rolled out their films alongside, yet none found enough takers. Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, affected by the negativity preceding its rollout, only managed to collect close to ₹ 59 crores. Akshay’s Raksha Bandhan, a heartfelt story about the bond between a brother and his sisters, collected ₹ 45 crores.
Source: Hindustan Times