Question: Has Happy New Year under-performed at the box office? It was expected to collect 250 crore in India and become the highest grosser overseas given the way it was promoted – Rajesh (Chicago).
Answer: A film that has grossed more than Rs 330 crore worldwide in just 13 days cannot be called a under-performer. Like Bang Bang, Happy New Year too is being perceived as a film that hasn’t live upto expectations, not because it has fared poorly, but because the pre-release expectations both within the trade and amongst fans was unrealistically high – which is the case with most big releases these days.
A star can only bring his audience to theatres in the first 2-3 days, after which the content takes over. Happy New Year took a extra-ordinary opening, but failed to sustain well enough over the weekend and during its first few weekdays. But the film has now held steady and picked up on holidays.
Happy New Year will finish its run as the 5th highest grosser both in India (after Dhoom 3, Krrish 3, Kick, Chennai Express) and the overseas markets (after Dhoom 3, 3 Idiots, My Name Is Khan and Chennai Express). Worldwide, the Shahrukh Khan starrer could beat Salman’s Kick, depending on how well it does in its 3rd weekend.
Overall, Happy New Year is a profitable venture for all involved.
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