Superstar Akshay Kumar's war saga Kesari is expected to rake in around Rs 25 crore on the first day of its release on Friday alone. The film starring Parineeti Chopra is one of the costliest films featuring Akshay Kumar. His popularity coupled with the film's Holi release and extended weekend makes a compelling case for Kesari to kick off to a fantastic start at the ticket counter.
Anurag Singh's directorial film, Kesari, saw a mega opening across 4,200 screens all over the world, including 3,600 screens in India, said film trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Terming the film an "outstanding" war story and Akshay's career-best act, Adarsh said Kesari has everything in the film, including nationalism, patriotism, heroism, scale and soul.
"They (the producers of Kesari) are targeting more than 3,500 screens across the country and also it is an extended weekend. So, it will definitely have a great opening. I peg it at Rs 25 crore," film trade analyst Girish Johar told the Indian Express.
Actor and writer Twinkle Khanna, the wife of Akshay Kumar, said the film is "a moving story of extraordinary courage with some kick-ass action".
Kesari is an incredible story of 21 Sikh soldiers fighting valiantly against 10,000 Afghan troops in the year 1897. It revolves around Afghan soldiers' attempt to capture Saragarhi, a signalling post between Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart. The film shows how just 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army, led by Havildar Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar), put up a strong fight against the invaders.
As per India Today's film review, "Kesari takes the audience where history textbooks did not, into the lives of the soldiers. If one soldier is away from his six-month-old daughter, another has been grappling with caste discrimination all his life". Though the exact box office numbers of the Kesari will be revealed by Saturday, the film's trailer and decent reviews could help it beat Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt's Gully Boy, which is 2019's biggest opener so far.
Edited by Manoj Sharma
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