In the post-pandemic era, the Indian box office has become very unpredictable. On the one hand, we’re witnessing crazy hits, while on the other hand, some really promising films are shocking us with their results. A similar pattern is seen in the first month of 2024 itself, with HanuMan and Fighter fetching unexpected results at ticket windows.
If we talk about the surprising results, HanuMan stands as a fresh example. With minimal buzz and a very low cost of marketing, the film has managed to shine like a bright star. Currently, it has crossed 170 crores net collection, and before its release, no one ever thought in their dreams that it would even earn 100 crores.
Some other best examples include Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal. Yes, all these films were high on the pre-release buzz, but the range of their business was never expected to be so high. Looking at their box office run, it feels like crossing 500 crores net collection is a chocolate, and every big film would be able to do it, but that’s clearly not the case.
Speaking about the collection of aforementioned films, Jawan did a business of 640.42 crores net. Gadar 2 earned 525.50 crores net, while Animal raked in 554 crores net at the Indian box office.
Now, talking about the Indian box office shockers, Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter is the recent addition to the list. Made on a huge budget and riding high on the massive buzz in the trade circle, the film shocked everyone right from the opening day. Despite glowing reviews, it crashed during weekdays and currently stands at almost 150 crores net, with a possibility of ending the run below 200 crores.
Even Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram has turned out to be a disappointing affair, despite the benefit of Sankranti holidays and massive buzz. It started off with 42 crores on day 1, and now, it’s even struggling to hit 130 crores net as its lifetime collection.
The list of shockers is incomplete without the inclusion of Tiger 3 and Dunki. The Salman Khan starrer had too many factors working in its favor. It had a franchise value, the backing of Spy Universe, a cameo of Shah Rukh Khan, and a lucrative period of Diwali. Still, it pulled off an underwhelming result and even struggled to emerge as a box office success. It earned just 286 crores net.
Dunki marked the dream collaboration of Shah Rukh Khan and director Rajkumar Hirani. And SRK, coming fresh from the unprecedented success of Pathaan and Jawan, made Dunki look like another easy 500 crore net grosser. However, the unpredictability of the Indian box office resulted in another shock. Though the film became a success, it ended its run at just 232 crores net.
Will 2024 give us more such surprising and shocking results? Let’s wait and see!
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
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