The Sunny Deol-Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar 2 is all set to release in a few days and the advance booking has spread cheer among the industry and exhibition sector. Bollywood Hungama spoke to ecstatic trade experts and exhibitors on this aspect.
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “The advance booking is phenomenal across the board.” Trade analyst Atul Mohan added, “The film will get a huge opening. There’s a lot of enquiry in the mass belts. People are excited. It will depend on how the film is and whether the audience accepts the film. Uske baad hi pata chalega ki film asli mein Gadar machayegi ya nahin!”
Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst, agreed, “The advance is simply outstanding. I had anticipated this the very moment Gadar 2 was announced as Sunny Deol has a huge untapped potential. Gadar (2001) was one of his memorable performances. Whatever material we have seen of Gadar 2 so far has been exciting. The buzz is at a different level. It can create hysteria at the box office.”
Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, revealed, “The advance booking is happening in single screens and in theatres where there are masses, as in labour, students etc. In comparison, the advance booking in high-end multiplexes is very less. But overall, the advance booking is phenomenal and unheard of.”
When asked if it is as much as Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster Pathaan (2023), Raj Bansal replied, “It’s nowhere close to Pathaan. That film was at another level. With Gadar 2, one didn’t expect such demand. It’s unbelievable.”
Vishek Chauhan, the owner of Roopbani Cinema in Bihar, explained, “If I had to rank it post COVID, it is number 3 in my cinema after Pathaan and KGF - Chapter 2 (2022).” He added, “Even in other theatres of smaller towns, the enquiries are tremendous.”
But Kiritbhai T Vaghasia, who runs The Friday Cinema multiplex in Surat, said, “The response is as good as it was in Pathaan”. He explained, “Spot bookings usually happen in my theatre, that too 5 or 10 minutes before the show. Yet, it’s commendable that so many tickets of Gadar 2 have got sold that too 3 days before release. The night shows are fast-filling.”
Return of mass cinema
Atul Mohan remarked, “Some people might not agree but there’s a lot of difference between mass and class cinema. Unfortunately, we don’t take mass cinema seriously. We focus on the high-gentry audience and how to impress them. South is mainly mass cinema. When the audience starts to copy the swag or hairstyle of a hero, that is a sign that a film has been accepted. Unfortunately, that happens rarely in Hindi films.” He gave an example, “The ‘Chinta Ta Chita’ dance step (from Rowdy Rathore) had caught on big time. Bachha bacha kar raha tha.”
Taran Adarsh emphasized, “Gadar is an emotion. The moment this film was announced, people were looking forward to it. The two-decade gap between the first and second part makes no difference if you look at the advance booking. Some people rued that ‘Itna late leke kyun aaye film ko’. But what difference does it make? The love for Tara Singh and Sakeena is as strong as it was earlier. When you go beyond metros, especially the single screens and multiplexes of mass circuits, response aisa hai ki main kya bolun aapko. The shows are getting full or turning orange in no time. These are the centres where advance booking happens rarely. It usually happens for big films like Pathaan. But the fact that it’s happening for Gadar 2 proves that it’s an event film.”
Vishek Chauhan exulted, “Gadar is such an iconic film that the older generation has passed it down. After Sholay (1975), Gadar is one of the most loved films in the history of Indian cinema. So, it is not a usual brand. Even Top Gun: Maverick (2022) worked after 36 years. Gadar 2 comes 22 years after the first part. These brands are very huge and deeply etched in public memory.”
In agreement, Girish Johar said, “The good part is that this is a mass-oriented cinema. The numbers will be coming from single screens, which are in dire need of a hit film. Recent releases like Satyaprem Ki Katha, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar etc were urban multiplex films. Single-screen theatres were breathing on borrowed air with these films. But Gadar 2 is a film solely meant for them. And they are waiting to explode.”
Day 1 predictions
When asked to predict the first-day figures, Taran Adarsh said, “I am confident that the first-day collections will be around Rs. 35 crores. This film is something else in mass circuits. There are capacity issues in such places but at the same time, these theatres are 800 or 900 seaters. The mass circuits and Hindi belts still rule.”
He also said, “If the content matches the hype for the film, then a Rs. 100 crore weekend is a surety. This is not including the Independence Day weekend. August 15 ko toh bhagwan hi jaane kya hoga!”
Girish Johar said, “Friday, August 11 is not a holiday. Yet, it is poised to take a stupendous start. I’ll be happy if the film opens anywhere around Rs. 25 crores. It can even have a fantastic weekend. Having said that, there’s a section of the audience which has not liked the trailer. But it’s a minuscule section. However, if the film doesn’t get accepted by the target audience, it can come down on day 1 itself.”
Raj Bansal predicted, “The film will open at minimum Rs. 20-22 crores. It can go higher. The collections of Saturday and Sunday will depend on the content of the film.”
Atul Mohan, however, said, “It’ll open in the range of Rs. 15 and 20 crores.”
Manoj Desai, executive director, G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir Cinema is happy with the bookings at his theatre, “Friday night show at Gaiety is nearly full. Sunday shows are also almost sold out. We hope after Pathaan, this turns out to be yet another blockbuster”. But he cautioned, “Whether it works depends on the public. There’s a long weekend starting from August 11 to August 16. All the hill stations near Mumbai are packed. This can affect Gadar 2.”
Will Gadar 2 cross Rs. 200 crore mark?
When asked if Gadar 2 can enter the Rs. 200 or even the Rs. 300 crore club, Taran Adarsh answered, “Yes. It all depends on the reports on the first day. In the worst-case scenario, it’ll easily collect Rs. 150 crores. The advantage here is that log ek baar toh Gadar 2 dekhna chahenge. After all, it’s a people’s film. It doesn’t have stunning locations or glamorous songs. It’s a very desi film. And desi films will never go out of touch.”
Girish Johar also doesn’t rule out the possibility, “If the audience accepts it, it can go anywhere. Did anybody even imagine in their wildest dreams that a verbose, drama, high-end, super-intelligent film like Oppenheimer will become the biggest Hollywood hit of 2023?”
Raj Bansal disagreed, “I doubt. But it’ll do fantastic if the content is strong.”
Coming soon: Khalnayak 2?
Raj Bansal signed off by saying that Gadar 2 can have a profound effect, “It can start a trend of having sequels of successful action-oriented films of the 90s and early 2000s like Ghatak, Khalnayak etc. The Khalnayak sequel, if rightly made, can do wonders at the box office.”
