Ayan Mukerji’s much awaited passion project Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva ' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt has finally released. While it has drawn a mixed reaction from the audience, the buzz around the movie has definitely attracted a massive crowd.
It has already joined the famous 100 crore club over the weekend and according to early box office numbers, it's safe to say that its popularity is not going to fade anytime soon.
While the 100 crore mark may not necessarily define a film's success, it's still an achievement that film producers pride themselves over, and rightfully so!
Here's a look at nine movies before Brahmastra that have had record openings in the past:
1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)
Starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Harshaali Malhotra, Bajrangi Bhaijaan was one of the most popular movies of 2015 with a total box office collection of Rs 969 crore. The movie also won several awards that year including a National Film Award for 'Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment'.
2. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)
A romantic drama film starring Salman Khan and Sonam K Ahuja in lead roles, the movie drew a lot of attention from the audience. It was one of the most expensive Indian movies made at the time. While it did draw some criticism for its usual Bollywood cliches, the movie did fairly well with the audience making it the second highest-grossing film of Bollywood in 2015. The total box office collection was Rs 432 Crore.
3. Sultan (2016)
Another Salman Khan starrer movie to join the 100 Crore Club was Sultan. The film also starred Anushka Sharma. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film was a fictional sports drama based on Sultan Ali Khan, a former world wrestling champion from Haryana. It even won international awards like 'Tehran International Sports Film Festival' and 'Jackie Chan Action Movie Awards'.
It has grossed over Rs 623.33 crore making it one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever.
4. Dangal (2016)
Dangal, like Sultan, was a sports drama, but was actually based on the lives of wrestlers Geeta Phogat, Babita Kumari and their father Mahavir Singh Phogat. The movie bagged many awards both nationally and internationally and received a lot of appreciation overall. With some powerful performances by the whole cast, the movie impressed the audiences quite a bit and grossed over Rs 2,024 crore.
5. Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)
One thing is for sure that audience loves to watch Bhai on screen! Tiger Zinda Hai, a sequel to the 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger, with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead, became the only movie in 2017 to earn 100 Crore in the opening weekend.
The film was applauded for its action-packed sequences and cinematography and of course, the Salman-Katrina jodi was loved by the audience. It managed to grab Rs 565.1 crore at the box office
6. Race 3 (2018)
The third and final installment in the 'Race' series featured an ensemble cast of Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Freddy Daruwala.
The film although managed to join the club and collect over 300 Crore, but failed to impress the audience, in fact it received a lot of criticism and negative reviews.
7. Sanju (2018)
A biopic based on the controversial life of actor Sanjay Dutt, Sanju became one of the highest opening films in 2018. The film dealt with Sanjay Dutt's struggle with drug addiction, his association with the 1993 Bombay blasts, and his relationships.
Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal both received praise for their performances, however the movie was surrounded by controversy with some criticising director Raju Hirani for attempting to whitewash Sanjay Dutt's image. The movie grossed over Rs 586.85 Crore at the box office.
8. Thugs of Hindostan (2018)
Thugs of Hindostan was quite a passionate project with an impressive cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Faitma Sana Shaikh, Katrina Kaif, Mohommed Zeeshan Ayyub, Ronit Roy and Lloyd Owen.
The audience was looking forward to watch Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan create magic on the screen together, and it even recorded the highest first-day biggest opening weekend in India, with a gross collection of Rs 335 crore, but the movie fell flat and tripped several times at that!
9. War (2019)
War, an action-thriller starring Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor released in 2019. It was the third installment in the YRF's series of Spy Universe, after Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai.
The film was the highesBox office hit and collected over Rs 475.5 crore.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)