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Kerala Story Won't Eclipse Kashmir Files

May 22, 2023 11:33 IST

IMAGE: Vin Diesel in Fast X.

For an entire fortnight, The Kerala Story led the show and ignited debates across the country.

Now it's the turn of Hollywood's Fast X, which has been doing very good business at the box office.

The biggest gainer is the exhibition sector which had been reeling for weeks, but is finally seeing consistently good footfalls, and not just on weekends or holidays.

Fast X has been doing good business, starting from Rs 12 crore (Rs 120 million) on its opening day to Sunday's Rs 19 crore* (Rs 190 million).

As a result, Rs 61 crore* (Rs 610 million) have been accumulated already by this Vin Diesel action entertainer.

It is headed for a first week total of over Rs 80 crore (Rs 800 million), resulting in the third straight week for this feat to be accomplished, ever since the release of The Kerala Story.

That's a good sign, as recent Hollywood movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and John Wick: Chapter 4 couldn't reach such numbers.

It has certainly set the stage for the much-hyped Tom Cruise starrer, Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One.

 

 

IMAGE: Adah Sharma in The Kerala Story.

Just like The Tashkent Files led to The Kashmir Files and The Delhi Files, The Kerala Story may develop more installments.

After a fabulous first week of Rs 80 crore (Rs 800 million), the second week saw over Rs 90 crore (Rs 900 million) coming in. The third week will get about Rs 45 crore- Rs 48 crore (Rs 450 million-Rs 480 million).

The Adah Sharma starrer has been finding steady footfalls all over the country. Non-release of the film in West Bengal and a late release in Tamil Nadu has resulted in a loss of at least Rs 10 crore-Rs 15 crore (Rs 100 million-Rs 150 million) and that's the margin by which it would stay under the lifetime total of The Kashmir Files eventually.

By the close of the third weekend, the Sudipto Sen directed film had collected Rs 198 crore* (Rs 1.98 billion) and as you read this, it has already entered the Rs 200 Crore Club (Rs 2 billion). An all-time blockbuster.

*Estimates. Final numbers awaited.

Note: All collections as per production and distribution sources.

JOGINDER TUTEJA