Prabhas’ Salaar Outshines Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan in Overseas Opening

Last Updated on December 20, 2023 by SPN Editor

The action-packed spectacle “Salaar” has already made a significant impact in the USA/Canada region, raking in a whopping $1.51 million. This impressive gross collection has enabled it to outshine “Pathaan”, which had an opening of $1.49 million at the North American box office (NABO).

The Indian film industry is celebrating a new milestone with the release of the highly anticipated film, “Salaar”. Directed by the renowned Prashanth Neel, known for his blockbuster “KGF”, and featuring the charismatic Prabhas in the lead role, “Salaar” has set an unprecedented record in overseas openings, surpassing the previous record held by “Pathaan”.

However, reaching the pinnacle is no easy task. Prabhas’ new film faces a daunting challenge to generate as much buzz and frenzy as “Animal”, which amassed a staggering $2.77 million on its opening day. With Ranbir Kapoor’s “Animal” reigning supreme, the prospect of “Salaar” surpassing this figure seems like a Herculean task.

Here’s a glance at the top openers in the North American region for the year 2023:

1. Animal – $2.77 Million
2. Leo – $2.53 Million
3. Tiger 3 – $1.91 Million
4. Jailer – $1.86 Million
5. Adipurush – $1.53 Million
6. Salaar – $1.51 Million (3 Days Left)
7. Pathaan – $1.49 Million
8. Jawan – $1.37 Million

“Prabha’s new film has carved its name in the history of Indian cinema by becoming the first Indian film to be released in approximately 1979 locations in North America. This record-setting number was announced by Prathyangira Cinemas, one of the overseas distributors of “Salaar”. Moreover, the film’s worldwide release in over 5000 locations has established a new standard in the Indian film industry.

Salaar overcoming the “Pathaan” Benchmark

“Pathaan”, a film featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, had earlier set a benchmark with an overseas opening collection of $1.49 million. However, “Salaar” has managed to eclipse this record, thanks in part to its star-studded cast and the thrilling action sequences showcased in its trailer.

“Salaar” has already done a business of $1.51 million in the USA/Canada region. With this gross collection, it has surpassed “Pathaan”, which opened at $1.49 million at the North American box office.
While “Salaar” has made a significant impact, it will be a challenging task for the film to generate hype and hysteria as strong as “Animal”, which collected $2.77 Million on the opening day. While Ranbir Kapoor‘s film sits at the top, Prabhas’ film beating that number is an unimaginable task.

However, the upcoming releases of the movies “Dunki” and “Salaar” are coinciding, leading to a dispute over the allocation of screen time.

“Dunki”, distributed by Pen Marudhar, has stipulated that they prefer to have all four shows or none at all. In contrast, “Salaar”, which is being released by Anil Thadani’s AA Films, is willing to share screen time as they believe the broad appeal of “Salaar” will draw audiences to single screens.

The current suggestion is for each movie to be allocated one prime time show (6.30 PM and 9.30 PM), with the exhibitors deciding the schedule for the remaining two shows (12.30 PM and 3.30 PM). However, a final decision is yet to be made, and single screens have only started booking for Thursday.

Vijay Kirgandur, the producer of Hombale Films, who is behind “Salaar: Part One- Ceasefire,” has discussed the clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s “Dunki” and considered astrological factors for the release date. He has stressed on a balanced distribution with ongoing discussions for a 50-50 screen split.