It’s a sign of how under-confident (or disinterested) Warner Bros. is inAquaman and the Lost Kingdom— ostensibly the final film in the now decade-long run of the DC Extended Universe — that the studio proceeded with its release in India despite two major local-language films dominating space in most theaters. This weekend marked an epic box office face-off between the comedy dramaDunki— Bollywood superstarShah Rukh Khan’s third film of the year, and the action-thrillerSalaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire, starring his Telugu counterpart,Prabhas. And as things stand,Salaaris easily out-performingDunkiboth in India and worldwide.
According to the production company Hombale Films,Salaargrossed $21.5 million on its first day of release across the globe,marking the biggest debut for an Indian film this year. Of this total, around $13 million came from India.Salaaralso posted the best-ever Thursday numbers for an Indian film in North America, grossing $2.5 million from less than 800 locations. Prabhas’Baahubali 2: The Conclusionremains thehighest-grossing Indian film of all time in domestic theaters, having made $20 million back in 2017. Other big Indian debuts this year came fromLeo, which grossed $17 million worldwide on opening day, andJailer, which made $11 million on its first day.
Dunki, on the other hand, generated $870,000 domestically on Thursday, andopened to $7 million globally. These figures pale in comparison to SRK’s two previous hits this year, the action-thrillersPathaanandJawan. WhilePathaangrossed nearly $13 million worldwide on day one,Jawanmade over $15 million globally on its first day. Both films ended up grossing over $100 million worldwide.
Prabhas Has Led Some of the Most Expensive Indian Films Ever Produced
Prabhas' Biggest Hits
Worldwide Gross
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
$215 million
Baahubali: The Beginning
$78 million
Salaarcomes from directorPrashanth Neel, who is best known for having helmed the Kannada-language blockbustersKGF: Chapter 1andKGF: Chapter 2. The second film emerged as the biggest Indian hit of 2022, having grossed more globally than even directorS.S. Rajamouli’s crossover blockbusterRRR.Salaaris set in an alternate universe where mythical retro-futuristic kingdoms are engaged in war. LikeRRR, the film also focuses on the friendship of two men, with one turning to the other in difficult times. India has several film industries that operate independently of each other, divided by region and language.Not all Indian films can be classified as “Bollywood”— a term that is specific toHindi-language movies.
While Neel is best known for his work in the Kannada-language industry,Salaaris primarily being sold as a Telugu-language film, directly targeting Prabhas’ significant fandom.The actor has had a rather rough runin the years since he starred in Rajamouli’s two Baahubali blockbusters. But after leading the big-budget bombsSaaho,Radhe Shyam, andAdipurush, it seems like the tide is finally turning in his favor. He’ll reprise his role as Salaar in the second installment, titledSalaar: Part 2 – Shouryaanga Parvam, but before that, he’ll star in reportedly the most expensive Indian film of all time,Kalki 2898 AD. You can watch theSalaartrailer below and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire
A gang leader tries to keep a promise made to his dying friend and takes on the other criminal gangs.
