Actor Salman Khan has scored a hat-trick at the box-office with his latest release, Bodyguard, which net Rs 20 crore on the first day of its release. His two other recent films, Dabanng and Ready, raked in the moolah.
While Dabanng collected Rs 14 crore on the first day, Ready garnered Rs 12.5 crore. Till then, these Khan capers hit the silver screen, actor Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots had been the highest first-day grosser with Rs 13 crore.
The massive opening for Bodyguard, which also stars Khan along with Kareena Kapoor, could not have come at a better juncture for Salman Khan, who is battling ill-health. He is in the United States for two surgeries to tackle his neurological problems-trigeminal neuralgia and a form of brain aneurysm. The neuralgia results in painful spasms across the actor's jaw.
He is scheduled to undergo the procedures within a couple of days. Regarding Bodyguard's opening, Fun Cinemas' head of operations Vishal Anand, said, "This has to be the highest-ever opening in Bollywood, beating Dabbang by nearly 15% or so.
" He feels Bodyguard should be able to net Rs 70 crore because of the present five-day weekend due to the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. "It is on the verge of making a record in Bollywood," he said. Bodyguard could have gained from the fact that there was "30-day lull at the box office". However, the impending release of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Mausam may change things.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, "Salman has become a phenomenon if one goes by the first day collection alone." He credits the first-day rush to the "Salman phenomenon". He said, "I feel after Salman has started doing charity he has found a special connect with the audience and they make his films work."
However, many other industry watchers have panned the film. "In terms of content, 'Bodyguard' is an average film as compared to Dabanng and Ready. One will have to wait and watch to see how it fares beyond the first day," said a film analyst. Adarsh feels otherwise: "Salman and Eid are a lethal combination. I think this film will break the first weekend record as well."