Exactly 10 years ago, on this day, viewers not only celebrated India’s 65th Independence Day, but also got ready to watch Ek Tiger. Starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, this Kabir Khan-directed film and Yash Raj Films (YRF) production hit theaters on August 15, 2012. It was an Eid release although Eid fell on the sixth day (Monday, 20 August). Therefore, the first five days fell in the pre-Eid period. Still, it managed to collect Rs. 100.16 crores before Eid holiday, a feat not broken by Eid release after Ek Tiger. It was also the fastest Rs. 100 crores grosser ever, achieving this feat in just 5 days.
10 Years Of Ek Tha Tiger: Exhibitors recall the cinema craze generated by the Salman Khan starrer; say “Before Ek Tha Tiger this kind of craze was last seen in Gadar”
The film worked great thanks to its plot, style, action and scale at an international level, super hits and of course the presence of Salman Khan. The teaser and trailer were so exciting that people were desperate to see the film. No wonder the film was able to reach such large numbers even in the pre-Eid period. After Eid, it continued its dream run and ended with a lifespan of Rs. 198.78 crores.
As Ek Tiger Completed 10 years ago, we decided to talk to exhibitors to learn more about the craze that Ek Tiger had generated in their theaters. Akshaye Rathi, director of Saroj Screens, said: “The craze was unprecedented. I clearly remember going to one of our cinemas on the day of release. We had a show at 6:00 AM due to public demand We had to start the show at 5:30 am because it was packed so early. Poora pagalpan hua tha uss time pe. At that time, it was the biggest and the greatest Salman Khan actor in terms of scale.
Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, went down in history when he said: “Pagalpan that. Before Ek Tigerthis kind of craze was last seen in gadarwho came 11 years before the release of Salman Khan starrer.”
He continued: ‘We couldn’t hear anything. Itni seetiyaan aur taaliyaan baj rahi thi. Viewers danced. The madness was on another level. Inside the hall all seats were occupied and there was a lot of enthusiasm. And outside, too, a huge crowd is waiting to get in. Log movie dekh ke dance karte tint aur masti karte tint nikal rahe the. As an exhibitor you feel so happy and proud to release such a film!”
Satadeep Saha, CEO of SSR Cinemas Pvt Ltd, reminisces: “The trailer for the film was fantastic and helped the film achieve a record opening. I had seen the film the first day and had called the distributor at Yash Raj and said that ‘Picture’ dekh ke maza aa gaya’. On the first day in our theater all shows were full. It was an Eid release. At the time, Salman Khan’s films would be tailgating at the festival. So we knew House Full shows hi hi hi.”
He continued: “The movie was a fantastic entertainer. Spy thrillers are common now, but at the time it was one of the first such movies in Bollywood. That added to the fun. The audience loved the action and the music. The chemistry of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif was also highly appreciated.”
Rashmikant Bhalodia, the owner of Galaxy Cinema in Rajkot, said: “That era belonged to Salman Khan. Hence the excitement had hit the air for Ek Tiger. Every show in the first few days was sold out in advance. I remember that maximum tickets were sold through online booking, which had just risen at the time.”
Until a few years ago, Book My Show famously stated in the About Me section: Ek Tiger was the first movie to sell a record number of tickets through their ticketing app.
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Bihar, commented: “It was the first film to cost a Rs. 30 crores plus opening. It was probably the first Salman Khan film to have taken an extraordinary start in multiplexes. This is because “Unlike his other hits at the time, this was kind of a chic kind of movie and he played a sophisticated character. So not just single-screens, but even multiplexes were on fire.”
Ek TigerThe success of the creators led the creators to come up with Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). It was also a blockbuster, collecting a massive Rs. 339.16 crores. Next year, Tiger 3 is all set to appear on Eid 2023 and it has already started generating buzz. Also adding to the hype is the cast of Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist. In addition, Shah Rukh Khan appears in a cameo, reprising his role of Pathan.
When asked whether Tiger 3 created enough craze, Akshaye Rathi replied: “Absolutely. Finally, Ek Tiger was one of Salman Khan’s biggest hits, not in terms of numbers, but due to the fact that it appealed to every audience. It was a super movie. It was also one of Salman Khan’s best works apart from Sultan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Tiger Zinda Hai over the past 10 years.”
Raj Bansal also said he has high hopes for Tiger 3“No matter how much you boycott or spread negativity, the film will still work. The bad luck of Hindi cinema is that koi achhi image nahi aayi. Jis din accchi image aayegi, yeh boycott waale fail ho jaayenge. If you ask who is the No. 1 actor in today’s time, I’ll say it’s Salman Khan who rules the industry.”
Satadeep Saha, meanwhile, cheered, “Tiger 3 has a good chance of course. But there is too much negativity. Calls for boycott Pathan. If this continues, it will be a problem (during the release of Tiger 3). We grew up watching Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. It is not right to boycott them based on their religion. Who cares what religion they belong to?”
However, Rashmikant Bhalodia made it clear that he is not sure Tiger 3‘s outlook, “Nothing can be said in today’s time. The public has become very smart. Look how she rejected Laal Singh Chaddha.”
While exhibitors had a smile on their face when talking about Ek TigerAt the same time, they also felt depressed with the box office scenario at the moment. Vishek Chauhan sighed, “Ek Tiger ka zamana cough aur tha. Tab dhande hua karte the.” He signed off by saying: “Itihaas hello reh gaya hi Bollywood ke easter. Bhavishya mein toh andhkaar hai aisa lag raha hai.”
Also read: Salman Khan meets with the Navy at INS, Visakhapatnam; spends the day with the soldiers
More Pages: Ek Tha Tiger Box Office Collection, Ek Tha Tiger Movie Review
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