The BIGGEST January releases

The first month of 2021 has not had any notable releases, but January usually starts on a blockbuster note.

Republic Day, especially, has seen many big movie releases earlier.

Joginder Tuteja looks back at the biggest January hits in the decade gone by.

 

Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior, 2020
Box office collection: Rs 280 crore

2020 was a big year for Ajay Devgn as he not only scored big with Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior right at the beginning of the year, but he also held the record till the end of the year, as no big film released post Baaghi 3 in March.

The patriotic action drama, set in a period era, had blockbuster written all over it with Director Om Raut delivering big.

 

Uri - The Surgical Strike, 2019
Box office collection: Rs 244.20 crore

Patriotism ruled the year before as well, with Director Aditya Dhar giving his take on the surgical strike by the Indian Army on Pakistan.

Vicky Kaushal breathed fire in Uri - The Surgical Strike which went on to be an all-time blockbuster.

Its dialogue 'How's the josh' became so popular that even Prime Minister Modi has used it in his speeches.

 

Padmaavat, 2018
Box office collection: Rs 302.15 crore

The making of Padmaavat was so stressful for Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali that even three years after its release, he remembers the pain.

The film was postponed from its original release date due to the controversy, and it finally saw a release in January.

But Bhansali's conviction ensured that the film -- starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor -- scored a triple century.

 

Raees, 2017
Box office collection: Rs 137.51 crore

The last Shah Rukh Khan starrer to have done well, Raees hit a comfortable century despite competition from Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil releasing on the same day.

Rahul Dholakia's film, co-starring Mahira Khan, was a Republic Day release.

 

Airlift, 2016
Box office collection: Rs 129 crore

Akshay Kumar's well-reviewed Airlift had patriotism written all over it.

Based on a historic event in 1990, this Raja Menon directed film had a tight narrative and exciting sequences.

It went on to score a century.

Baby, 2015
Box office collection: Rs 95.50 crore

A year before Airlift, Akshay Kumar led the show in Baby, which is also right up there in his repertoire of excellent films.

Directed by Neeraj Pandey, Baby was an edge-of-the-seat action thriller.

This one deserves to be a franchise.

 

Jai Ho, 2014
Box office collection: Rs 115 crore

Salman Khan's Pay It Forward-themed film Jai Ho had a goodness quotient to it while being wrapped in a commercial package.

The film worked well as an entertainer and was a straightforward success.

 

Race 2, 2013Box office collection: Rs 100.45 crore

Even Saif Ali Khan admits that Race 2 could have been far better than what it eventually turned out to be.

Race was a classic thriller, but the sequel didn't have as many unpredictable twists and turns.

This one was bigger in terms of scale, size and cast and the director duo's equity ensured it hit a century.

 

Agneepath, 2012
Box office collection: Rs 115 crore

A superhit at the box office, Agneepath was as masala as possible with Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt in good form, along with Rishi Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Karan Johar came up with a redux version of Amitabh Bachchan's Agneepath and while Director Karan Malhotra brought in the rustic elements, purists may prefer the original.

 

Yamla Pagla Deewana, 2011
Box office collection: Rs 55.28 crore

It was fun to see Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol coming together in a family comedy, which was pure, unadulterated and innocent in its look, feel and treatment.

Yamla Pagla Deewana spawned a sequel, and is fondly remembered even today.