Records are meant to be broken. And Rowdy isn't just breaking bones of his detractors [on screen, of course!], but also breaking the records at the ticket window. Sorry, let me coin a new term: Rowdy, true to his name, is going rowdistic [inspired by ballistic] at the domestic box-office.
Let me go back to the time when Sanjay Leela Bhansali, UTV and Prabhu Dheva joined hands to make the film. A section of the industry, in a state of shock due to this 'unexpected' development, scoffed and mocked at them, calling this alliance ludicrous. A few even went to the extent of saying that the film would never get made, that it was a mere announcement, given the fact that SLB and Prabhu Dheva believe in diverse genres of cinema. Now that the film has released and the response has been phenomenal, well, SLB, Prabhu Dheva and UTV are having the last laugh. Oh yes, they are also laughing all the way to the bank!
It was a foregone conclusion that ROWDY RATHORE would amass a big fat total in its opening weekend. Yes, a few people were skeptical about its performance at the multiplexes in view of the fact that mass-friendly movies, generally, have a slow start at big city plexes. But the gradual growth at plexes helped the film put up fantabulous numbers in its opening weekend.
With such a dhamakedaar initial, like they say in filmi parlance, half the battle is won. In this case, of course, there's no denying that ROWDY RATHORE is all set to be a huge success, but what remains to be seen is whether the film will set new benchmarks in days to come. From the business point of view, the producers have sold the Satellite Rights for a tidy sum and the balance investment should be recovered from India theatrical alone, as things stand today.
Everyone benefits after a hit. But the one to benefit the most is Akshay Kumar. I reiterate what I said on the day of its release: ROWDY RATHORE is Akshay's DABANGG. That says it all!
