Year 2020 has embarked on a winning note with Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior making a very good start at the box office.
The film first exceeded expectations when it made an opening of Rs 15.1 crore. Most in the trade, including myself, believed that a Rs 10-12 crore start would be optimal for the historical action film which was expected to grow based on the word of mouth. However, the start was far better as Rs 15.1 crore came in.
Further, when the word of mouth took over, it resulted in steady increase in footfalls with every passing day.
As a result, Rs 61.9 crore have been accumulated by the 3D film in just three days. From here, it should be all about consolidation at the box office. Over the last three decades, Ajay Devgn has featured in dozens of films. But Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior was special as it is his 100th release. It was always meant to be special, and the visual spectacle that it has turned out to be, it lends further theatrical appeal to the film which is designed for big screen viewing.
This is also what enticed the audience in a big way and footfall has continued to grow across multiplexes and single screens and that too in A, B and C centers. Since the release size of the film is huge (over 3,800 screens), there is still good ground available for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior to grow further. It is the biggest film running right now and has quite some showcasing available for itself. Moreover, with partial holiday for Lohri on January 13, collections especially in the North should see further stability.
Last year in February, Devgn's Total Dhamaal had released and it went past the Rs 150-crore mark during its lifetime. That was a film aimed at children and as a result, the collections were quite healthy to begin with. And then, patronage from family audience ensured that collections continued to trickle in.
In case of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, it is the historical factor coupled with some never seen before visuals, courtesy high-end VFX, that should do the trick. Moreover, with hardly any competition in the coming week, the film should at least emerge as a hit.
The film is also quite special for Saif Ali Khan as it would be seven years after Race 2 (2013) that he would have a hit to his name. He has seen an unfortunate series of flops, and even though Baazaar (2018) did reasonably better, what he was hunting for was a solid hit.
Incidentally, he is playing an antagonist this time. But at the end of the day, a success is what that counts. Moreover, with Jawaani Jaaneman as his next release later this month, 2020 could become a turnaround year for Saif Ali Khan.
(Joginder Tuteja is a trade expert and film critic. Views are personal)
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