All eyes are on ‘Chennai Express’ as the film is arriving with a roar at the box office this Eid. The film has made noise for all the right reasons. There is no negativity attached to it whatsoever. The vibes are just right. Shahrukh Khan, Rohit Shetty and Deepika Padukone are coming with major hits behind them. The promotion has ensured that the world is aware about the arrival of the film. Last but not the least, the entertainment quotient of the film should ensure that there is family audience lining up in a major way.
Needless to say, the film is all set to take the highest ever opening for a Shahrukh Khan starrer. While it is a given that 25 crore would be a cakewalk for this UTV production on its Friday release (while over 5 crore could well come on Thursday Paid Previews), one waits with bated breath to see if 33 crore opening day record of Salman Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ is broken here. Not that it would be a benchmark for the eventual run of the film but in the business which is fast being driven by the sheer numbers it brings, every bit of moolah that comes in would be looked at keenly.
As things stand now, the film should bring in 100 crores in its first one week itself, as long as it is a decent to good entertainer. While it could well be carrying good enough potential for a much longer run, there would be a jolt felt for sure on its second weekend when ‘Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbaai Dobaara’ arrives on Thursday itself. However that is a story for a later day since as of now, what matters is the humungous start that ‘Chennai Express’ is bound to take, hence giving audience something more to cheer about after a month long run of ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.
Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder
