Mumbai: Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s spy thriller ‘Tiger 3’ was one of the most awaited films of the year, which was released on Diwali. The film had a huge buzz and hype, thanks to the advance booking and the popularity of the franchise. However, the film could not live up to the expectations and failed to break the records of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawaan’ and ‘Pathaan’, which were the biggest blockbusters of 2023.
According to the report by Sacnilk, ‘Tiger 3’ collected Rs 44.5 crore on the first day in India across languages. The film earned Rs 43.2 crore in Hindi, Rs 1.15 crore in Telugu, and Rs 15 lakh in Tamil. The film also had a decent performance in the overseas markets, where it grossed Rs 50.5 crore, taking its worldwide total to Rs 95 crore. The film sold 8.77 lakh tickets in advance booking for the first day, which amounted to more than Rs 30 crore.
However, these numbers were not enough to beat the opening day collections of ‘Jawaan’ and ‘Pathaan’, which were the highest-grossing films of the year. ‘Jawaan’, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, and Vijay Sethupathi, collected Rs 75 crore in India and Rs 100 crore worldwide on the first day. The film was praised for its action, comedy, and romance, and went on to become the first Hindi film to cross Rs 500 crore net in India and Rs 1000 crore gross worldwide.
‘Pathaan’, another spy thriller starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham, also had a phenomenal opening of Rs 57 crore in India and Rs 80 crore worldwide. The film faced some controversies due to its depiction of Pakistan and Islam but still managed to attract the masses with its high-octane action and music. The film crossed Rs 400 crore net in India and Rs 700 crore gross worldwide.
‘Tiger 3’, on the other hand, received mixed reviews from the critics and the audience. Some praised the film for its action sequences, cinematography, and chemistry between Salman and Katrina, while others criticized the film for its weak plot, logic, and direction.
However, ‘Tiger 3’ managed to surpass ‘Gadar 2’ in the opening day collections, and became the third biggest opener of 2023 after ‘Jawaan’ and ‘Pathaan’. The film also became the biggest opener of Salman Khan’s career, beating his previous best of Rs 42.3 crore for ‘Bharat’ in 2019. The film is expected to show some growth over the weekend and the festive season and recover its budget of Rs 300 crore. The film is the third installment of the ‘Tiger’ franchise and the fifth installment of the YRF Spy Universe, which also includes ‘War’, ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawaan’. The film is directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Yash Raj Films.
