Superstar Salman Khan’s Tubelight seems to have started on a dim note, with a business of more than Rs200 million (Dh11 million) on the day of its release.
The Kabir Khan directorial, also featuring Salman’s brother Sohail, child actor Matin Rey Tangu and Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, is set in the backdrop of the India and China war of 1962. It released in India on Friday; in the UAE on Thursday. For Gulf News tabloid!’s review, click here.
According to the film’s publicist, the film collected Rs211.5 million on opening day.
The film released in India on 4,350 screens, and 1,200 screens in traditional markets, excluding China and other non-traditional markets.
Film critic Taran Adarsh pointed out that Tubelight’s opening day collection is the lowest that a Salman film has minted in the last four years.
He tweeted: “Salman and Eid — Day 1... 2012: Ek Tha Tiger Rs 32.93 crore [Rs329.3 million] ; 2014: Kick Rs26.40 crore [Rs264 million]; 2015: Bajrangi Bhaijaan Rs27.25 crore [Rs272.5 million]; 2016: Sultan Rs36.54 crore [Rs365.4 million] and 2017: Tubelight Rs21.15 crore [Rs211.5 million].”
Tubelight is getting a mixed response from the critics, with some saying that it “shines but with low voltage”.
Salman is not fretting over bad reviews. He is happy that the critics didn’t give a minus rating to the film.
“The critics were really good. I was expecting minus three and minus four but they gave one, 1.5 apparently, so I am very pleased,” said Salman at an event on Friday.
Tubelight might have got a slow start, but the weekend will decide the fate of the film.
Considering this is the long Eid weekend — an occasion which has always reaped gold for Salman at the box office, proven by the success of films such as Kick, Ek Tha Tiger, Bodyguard, Dabangg and Wanted — the numbers are expected to grow considerably.
