The week gone by was simply fantastic for Bollywood. The kind of collections that came in were not just equal to the best this year (alongside Race 2) but also competed with some of the best weeks that Bollywood had enjoyed last year. Between Special Chabbis (26) and ABCD – Any Body Can Dance, industry saw over 75 crores coming in. Astonishing indeed, especially considering the fact that two films managed to survive next to each other and still bring in audience practically every day of the week. Of course it was Special 26 that earned more but ABCD -Any Body Can Dance was not a pushover by any means!
Still from Special Chabbis (26) Movie
Let’s talk about Special Chabbis (26) first. The film managed very consistent collections right through the weekdays, hence bringing in around 44 crores. The way this Akshay Kumar starrer has sustained pretty much indicates that the film would stay on in theatres for a few more weeks at least. While it is a given that the film would cross the Khiladi 786 collections of around 70 crores, it would be very interesting to see if it crosses the collections of OMG Oh My God! which had collected over 80 crores. If one compares the box office progress of the two films, the first week total of OMG Oh My God! had read 36 crores whereas that number was already crossed by Special Chabbis (26) in five days.
Still from ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Movie
On the other hand ABCD – Any Body Can Dance has turned out to be a good case study of a niche film being picked by the target audience in a very good way. The film collected over 32 crores in its first week, hence turning out to be a clean hit. In the process it has not just surpassed the lifetime collections of Remo D’Souza’s F.A.L.T.U but is also challenging the kind of 1st week total that last year’s success Ishaqzaade had enjoyed. While the Arjun Kapoor-Parineeti Chopra starrer had brought in 25.75 crores in its first week (which has been left behind by ABCD – Any Body Can Dance) and enjoyed lifetime collections of over 45 crores, it would be interested to see if it is surpassed now.
Success of both these films coupled with 100 crores collections of Race 2 a week ago pretty much indicates that audience is willing to step into theatres, provided there is good entertainment in offering.
