Race 3 actor Salman Khan has become the most bankable star and also the undisputed king of box office.
52-year-old actor Salman Khan is still in the prime of his Bollywood career after spending over three decades here. Just like fine wine, his charm is on the rise as he grows older. With the opening day, first weekend collections and first week records of his films at the ticket counters, Salman has become the most bankable star and also the undisputed king of box office. He leads the list of actors with the most number of Rs 100 crore films. His last release Tiger Zinda Hai was his twelfth film to make it to the coveted club.
With the release of every film, Salman has set new benchmarks for his contemporaries taking the number game to new heights. Owing to his fandom, the box office pundits have already predicted a grand opening of his next action thriller Race 3. Trade analyst Girish Johar has told indianexpress.com that the Remo D’Souza directorial will earn approximately Rs 30 crore on its opening day and might also cross Rs 100 crore in its opening weekend.
So, before we witness Race 3 breaking records, here is a throwback to the box office collection of the last five releases of the Sultan of Bollywood.
1. Tiger Zinda Hai: Rs 339.16 crore
The Ali Abbas Zafar directorial starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif led to a dull 2017 ending with a bang. The franchise film made a triple century at the box office and earned Rs 339.16 crore. It glided past the Rs 100 crore mark in just three days and also became the first Bollywood film to achieve the feat so quickly. A sequel to 2012’s Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai had Salman wielding guns at enemies as he reprised the role of a spy. Katrina too impressed all with her action sequences in the movie and went on to become a favourite of critics.
2. Tubelight: Rs 119.26 crore
Despite not-so-good reviews, Tubelight, which had Salman as a simpleton in search of his brother, earned Rs 119.26 crore. Though the film earned over Rs 100 crore, going by the standard of Bhai films, it was considered a setback in his career. The Kabir Khan directorial failed to connect with the fans of Bhaijaan who love to see him dispatching bad guys in his movies. Set during the 1962 Sino-Indian war, Salman as Laxman Bisht was disappointing. Addressing the negative reviews the film had received, Salman then said, “The critics were like really good. I was expecting minus 3 and minus 4 and they gave me 1 and 2, apparently. So, I am very pleased with that.”
3. Sultan: Rs 300.45 crore
Another win for Salman Khan at the box office was Ali Abbas Zafar directorial Sultan. The film minted Rs 300.45 crore at the ticket counters. Also starring Anushka Sharma, the movie opened to rave reviews from critics and audience alike. Indian Express’ movie critic Shubhra Gupta called the film Salman’s ‘most real performance’ till date. In her review of the film, she wrote, “‘Sultan’ has him (Salman) breaking free from Bhai-giri bondage by getting his character to crack and bleed. His down-and-out wrestler has foibles, is fallible, is human. Sultan Ali Khan has faults, and is punished for it. Because of which Sultan scores, and delivers a solid entertainer with heft.”
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4. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo: Rs 210.16 crore
Salman Khan returned as the frontman of Sooraj Barjatya films with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The family drama, also starring Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhasker and Armaan Kohli, scaled new heights at the box office as it opened with Rs 40.35 crore in its kitty. Over its run in the theatres, the film collected a total of Rs 210.16 crore. Also, Salman became the first Bollywood actor to enter the Rs 500 crore club in one year. His two movies – Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Bajrangi Bhaijaan – released in 2015 collectively earned Rs 500 crore.
5. Bajrangi Bhaijaan: Rs 320.34 crore
The story of an Indian man who goes out of his way to help a Pakistani girl reunite with her parents struck the chord with audiences and the Salman Khan starrer raked in moolah. It earned Rs 320.34 crore and became the highest grosser of 2015. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.