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Bollywood seemed to have followed a strange pattern for the release dates of films in December and January. While there is a constant battle to grab the spot for the last release of the year, there is an eerie silence to occupy the dates for opening a year. Usually, no big release is excited to open the year or become the first film to release in January. Ever wondered why?
January seems to be a little jinxed for films that open the year at the box office. Not that we believe in such stuff, but the data provided says otherwise. In the last 15 years, every first film of the year that has been released at the box office has met a disastrous fate.
Sometimes, filmmakers have even waited for the second week to release their films so that the opening slot gets occupied by some low-budget film that might meet its disastrous end opening way for the upcoming films. And so, in the last 15 years, 23 films have taken the opening spot in January, becoming the first release of the year, and out of these 23, 21 films have met a disastrous fate, jinxing January Box Office – the opening month of the year.
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23 Films In The Last 15 Years
From 2008 to 2023, 23 films were the first film to be released in the new year. The fate of all these films has been disastrous. Most of these films have not been driven by stars or superstars since everyone dreads to make their film the first release of the year. None of these films have worked at the box office, despite some of them actually being loved by the audience.
The Only Hit In 15 Years
Out of all the first releases of the year in the last 15 years, there has been only one hit, which came in 2020, with Ajay Devgn‘s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Interestingly, the film was also the opening film of this decade. Tanhaji collected 279.50 crore in its lifetime and has been the only hit in the last 15 years. Interestingly, this was Ajay Devgn’s second film, which was the opening film of the year. Halla Bol in 2008 was the other film.
The Only Blockbuster In 15 Years
Out of all the opening films in the last 15 years, only Vicky Kaushal’s Uri: The Surgical Strike has been the only blockbuster. The rest of the 21 films have been disasters and flops at the box office. Uri collected 244.06 crore at the box office, turning into one of the most profitable films of Bollywood as well.
Clashes & Triple Clashes
The last 15 years have also seen clashes and triple clashes between the opening films of the year. The biggest clash between the opening films of the year was in 2020 when Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior clashed with Deepika Padukone‘s Chhapaak. While Tanhaji turned into a hit, Chhapaak was a losing film at the box office that collected 34.13 crore. The year 2018 saw a triple clash among the opening films of the year, but none of them survived!
No Release In January In 2022!
January Jinx is so dreaded that after the pandemic, none of the films dared to open the year at the box office. In fact, there was no release in the entire month of January 2022. The first release of 2022 was in February, with Badhaai Do released on February 10. Considering this was the first release of the year 2022, it was also a flop that collected 19.50 crore at the box office.
Will Katrina Kaif – Vijay Sethupathi Fall Prey To The Jinx?
The opening film of the year 2023 is Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi’s Merry Christmas, which releases on January 12. Will it break the jinx or fall prey to the jinx? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, you can check out the opening numbers of all the opening films of the year in the last 15 years!
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Check out the box office collections and verdicts of 2023 here.
For more stories and updates, stay tuned to Koimoi.
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