India
In a resounding triumph for the Indian film industry, the Producers Guild of India and Multiplex Association of India jointly announced a historic weekend that reinvigorated the nation’s cinemas. The period from August 11 to 13 witnessed an unprecedented surge in audience turnout, setting a new milestone with a staggering theatrical gross box office record of over ₹390 crore. This unparalleled success marked the most lucrative weekend in the cinema’s century-long history and drew a remarkable 2.10 crore moviegoers to theaters across the country.
The cinematic resurgence was led by a quartet of highly anticipated releases: Sunny Deol’s “Gadar 2” and Akshay Kumar’s “OMG 2” in Hindi, Rajinikanth’s “Jailer” in Tamil, and Chiranjeevi’s “Bholaa Shankar.” All four films not only captured the audience’s imagination but also propelled box office collections to new heights. “Gadar 2” raked in an impressive ₹135 crore during its opening weekend, while “OMG 2” garnered ₹43.06 crore. “Jailer,” which had a head start with its release on August 10, amassed a remarkable ₹150 crore in just four days. “Bholaa Shankar” contributed to the triumph with ₹25 crore in box office earnings.
Shibasish Sarkar, President of the Producers Guild of India, lauded the feat, emphasizing the impact of well-executed mainstream storytelling and the collaborative efforts of filmmakers. He stated, “This weekend has been a wonderful experience for people who love mainstream Indian films. The turnout at theaters has infused a new energy in our industry, audiences are responding in numbers we have not seen for a very long time.” Kamal Gianchandani, President of the Multiplex Association of India, echoed this sentiment, asserting that the weekend marked the resurgence of movies and cinemas in a monumental way. Gianchandani emphasized, “This weekend shows that movies and cinemas are back in a big, big way. We look forward to this momentum continuing in the rest of 2023.” As the curtain rises on this record-shattering weekend, the Indian film industry stands as a testament to the enduring power of cinema to unite and captivate audiences across the nation.
