Pathaan Box Office Collection Day 1 estimate: Shah Rukh Khan's film off to a strong start; Bollywood finally gets a big hit!

A lot was riding on Shah Rukh Khan’s first film in four years, 'Pathaan'. Not only was it important for the superstar who had seen a string of box office duds, culminating in the disastrous 'Zero' (2018), 'Pathaan' assumed importance for the potential it held in reviving Bollywood box office, which again has been marred by big budget flops.

'Pathaan' is expected to have earned in the range of Rs 50 crore net. According to trade analysis site, Sacnilk, the advance bookings indicated a collection of Rs 45 crore but the walk-in audience spread the cheer further, as Pathaan’s box office collection moved towards Rs 50 crore plus on the opening day.

The site said that the numbers could go up as high as Rs 55 crore. In that case, 'Pathaan' would take over KGF 2’s Hindi version that earned Rs 53.95 crore on the first day. The gross 'Pathaan' box office collection is expected to be higher, perhaps in the range of Rs 60-70 crore. The final numbers are yet to be released. 

Whether it surpasses 'KGF 2' or not, 'Pathaan' is most certainly likely to record the biggest opening for a film released during a work day. It was released mid-week on January 25, which was a Wednesday. 

Another thing to be kept in mind is that Pathaan like many other Bollywood films braved boycott calls. Many movies including Aamir Khan’s 'Laal Singh Chaddha' fell prey to the boycott calls but Shah Rukh Khan’s 'Pathaan' still managed to record a stupendous box office collection. 

Meanwhile, social media has been flooded with reactions to 'Pathaan'. While fans of Shah Rukh Khan can be seen dancing and rejoicing inside the theatres as screenings take place – videos are aplenty on social media – critics have given a thumbs up to the spy thriller. 

It is not to say there have been no negative reviews. Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone’s 'Pathaan' has received its fair share of negative reviews too – videos of this too are aplenty on social media. 

But all said and done, Bollywood finally seems to have got a big hit in 'Pathaan'. 

Also read: Pathaan Twitter Review: Shah Rukh Khan packs a powerful punch, says Twitterati

Also read: 'Pathaan' box office: Shah Rukh Khan-starrer breaks records in advance booking; no. of shows bumped up by 300