In a year marked by notable successes for Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, featuring hits like “Jawan” and “Pathaan,” both surpassing the Rs 1,000 crore mark globally, his latest release “Dunki” failed to generate the same level of excitement. Industry tracker Sacnilk reported that on its opening day, “Dunki” earned Rs 30 crore, securing the seventh position in the 2023 rankings, trailing behind “Jawan,” “Animal,” “Pathaan,” “Tiger 3,” “Gadar 2,” and “Adipurush.”
While “Jawan” and “Adipurush” opened with Rs 75 crore and Rs 36 crore, respectively, “Dunki” faced a comparatively modest start. Despite being Shah Rukh Khan’s first collaboration with renowned director Rajkumar Hirani, known for his blockbuster successes from the “Munnabhai” series to “3 Idiots,” “PK,” and “Sanju,” the film’s opening performance falls short of the high expectations set by the duo.
With the long Christmas weekend ahead, there remains hope for “Dunki” to gain momentum. However, surpassing the success of Shah Rukh Khan’s earlier releases in the year seems improbable. Notably, “Dunki” may not have matched the opening day figures of Shah Rukh Khan’s 2018 release, “Zero,” which premiered on the same date with an opening of Rs 19.35 crore. Despite a lackluster performance, “Zero” managed to accumulate Rs 90.28 crore during its entire theatrical run.
Comparatively, “Dunki” falls short of the opening figures achieved by Rajkumar Hirani’s previous release, “Sanju,” which opened with Rs 34.75 crore and went on to achieve a remarkable lifetime collection of Rs 342 crore. While “Dunki” may be Shah Rukh Khan’s least successful film of the year, it still surpasses the opening day figures of “Zero,” showcasing a nuanced perspective on the film’s initial performance in the box office.
