The second quarter of the year seems to be doing wonders for Bollywood. After the success of 'Ki & Ka' (April 1), last week's release 'Fan' starring Shah Rukh Khan became the highest weekend opener of the year. It collected Rs 52.35 crore in India.
Trade analyst Amod Mehra says that the Shah Rukh Khan starrer is on the verge of being declared a hit despite several odds. He says, "As the film had no heroine, no songs, no romance and was releasing in between IPL matches, there were speculations in the trade that 'Fan' may not get a good opening. But everyone was proved wrong and on Friday the film got off to a great start.
Though the collections dipped on Saturday but they bounced back on Sunday for the film to register the highest weekend collections of this year surpassing 'Airlift'. With a moderate budget the film is on its way to be declared a hit."
He adds, "'The Jungle Book' too continued to draw in big crowds. This weekend it has crossed a century (Rs 100 crore) and looks set to be the biggest Hollywood hit in India."
Trade expert Taran Adarsh says. "Although Fan has become the highest weekend opener of this year so far, it has not done as well as it was expected to. On the other hand, 'The Jungle Book' is on a dream run."
BO stats
Rs 52.35crore
'Fan' (opening weekend)
Rs 27.20crore
'The Jungle Book'
(Week 2; total collection- Rs 101.82 crore)