Pandemonium at the box office, Sultan sends Irrfan Khan starrer scurrying

By Subhash K. Jha -

July 11, 2016 - 12:44 PM IST

Salman Khan's Eid release has created havoc at the box office. The immediate casualty is Irrfan Khan starrer Madaari which was to open next week, on July 15. Seeing the enormity of Sultan's success the Irrfan Khan starrer about a vigilante's vendetta against the establishment has been pushed ahead by a week, leaving the coast clear for another uninterrupted week of box office supremacy of Salman'sSultan act.

Pandemonium at the box office, Sultan sends Irrfan Khan starrer scurrying

Explaining the decision to push the film ahead, Madaari director Nishikant Kamat expresses helplessness and resignation. "It is unfortunate, but what to do? We are caught in a kind of chain reaction. Great Grand Masti getting leaked online forced them to prepone the release by a week from July 22 to July 15, which was our release date. Between Great Grand Masti and i>Sultan we could hardly get any theatres on the 15th. The best option for us suddenly becomes 22nd with no other major release on that day. We were all set to release on schedule. But in today's times release date has become so important. It is a new experience for me as well."

Trade pundit Taran Adarsh feels the overpowering success of Sultan is no surprise. "The fabulous opening of Sultan can be attributed to three main factors. Salman Khan's superstardom, Eid release and Yash Raj's brilliant marketing strategy. Also, the fact that most top actors including Salman are limiting themselves to just one or two films per year, the curiosity to watch their films multiplies manifold as the release date of the film draws nearer."

Taran sees Salman as owning the Eid season. "Over the years, Salman's movies have been timed during the festive period Eid specifically. That, coupled with the fact that Salman has a huge fan base, who love, adore and worship their 'Bhai', helped Sultan start with a big bang at the ticket windows."

However Taran warns it's not only Salman's stardom that's manoeuvring Sultan towards being the biggest blockbuster of the year. "No movie can survive only due to star power or marketing skills or release period. The fact that Sultan has solid content and the word of mouth is super strong, are factors likely to ensure the film enjoy a good, meritorious run in days to come."

About Sultan's mammoth success trade analyst Atul Mohan says, "It was expected. If Salman doesn't then who else do you expect to do the magic? Salman Khan, Yashraj Films and Eid. It couldn't have got bigger and better than this. But most importantly the credit must also be given to Ali Abbas Zafar the director. He did his homework properly and delivered a fine story. Had the writing department gone little haywire the reports and reviews could have another story to tell. He held his nerve and delivered as expected. See what happened to the same responsibility given to Manish Sharma by Yashraj for Shah Rukh Khan's Fan?"

With Madaari bowing out of the race on July 15, it's up to Indra Kumar's sex comedy Great Grand Masti and the super-successful Hollywood animation franchise Ice Age: Collision Course in 3D to wean audiences away from the Salmania that grips the boxoffice.