Is Salman Khan the undisputed No 1?

His last failure was way back in January 2010. Since then, Salman Khan has relentlessly delivered back-to-back blockbusters.

  • Dabangg – 140 crores
  • Ready – 121 crores (non-festive release)
  • Bodyguard – 145 crores
  • Total – 406 crores (average of 135 crores per film)

Those are staggering numbers, but what those figures don’t tell you is that, Salman Khan has been lucky enough to get the ‘perfect release’ for each of his films including the upcoming Ek Tha Tiger, which releases during an extended weekend of 6 days (including the holiday for EID on Monday)

To add to the ‘perfect release’, there is no denying the fact that Salman Khan has played it safe. In a recent interview, Khan, talking about his position as the numero uno star in the country, said “It’s a very dangerous position to be in. I don’t know what to do in my next film. If the script is full on action, I think, again an action film. If it is romance, I wonder if it will do well right after an action film.”

With action-masala films all the rage at the box-office, Salman has persisted with that genre and that’s unlikely to change in the future too – apart from Sooraj Barjatya’s next which is likely to release in 2014.

His films are faring better than the rest, but to say Salman is way ahead of the rest , would be wrong. Infact, his contemporaries, aren’t too far behind.

  • Aamir Khan – 3 Idiots surpassed the 200 crore mark, when no other film (apart from his own Ghajini of course) had even touched 100 crores. The 202 crore figure still stands tall. Like Salman said recently “It’s a shame that no film has managed to beat 3 Idiots in 3 years”. The blind faith that the audience have in ‘brand Aamir’ plays a major role too. With Dhoom 3, every standing record will be broken and probably the 250 – 300 crore mark too.
  • Hrithik Roshan – The dark and gory Agneepath broke the Bodyguard record and managed 120 crore+ even though it didn’t hold much appeal towards the family audience. As for those crediting Katrina Kaif’s item number for the success of Agneepath, wait for Krrish 3!
  • Shahrukh Khan – A rejected film like Ra One, which dropped even before the end of it’s first weekend, did business of 120 crores+ (including hindi version). Don 2, with limited appeal towards single-screen audience, did close to 115 crores. Give SRK a well-made film, with universal appeal and the 3 Idiots record will be in danger. And we aren’t even talking about overseas business here.
  • Akshay Kumar – Rowdy Rathore did 131 crores – 10 more than Ready, which had a similar release and 10 short of Bodyguard, without an extended weekend release. Akshay isn’t too far behind, is he?

The point of the article is not to say, Salman isn’t the top star in the industry today. He is. Just that, the other names mentioned above are all equally capable of delivering a ‘festive blockbuster’ with a perfectly timed release.

Advertisements

136 Comments

  • I am in a dangerous position today: Salman Khan ; You are not in danger but people walking on the street are, when you are driving

  • indicine is back….. from the dark side to the balanced article.

    Just a point to add, its the fan following that works. Some has fans from all ages and some dont have.
    Movie has nothing to do, if u remember Phir Milenge was watched because of Salman and so was Garv.
    If he does a serious movie, even then it will be almst same not a BB but surely it will be a decent film.

    And DON 2 didnt have univeral appeal ?????? are u kidding me it was a pure masala movie … what else can be then a masala movie.

  • @ suhas… Salman was still in limelight before dabangg… 2005 maine pyar kyun kiya 5th highest grosser.. No entry (highest grosser of year) partner 3rd highest (blockbuster) 2007… 2009 wanted (2nd highest nett collection) & where was srk in these years??? Also where was hritik???

  • @DON I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY U N SOME SRK FANS COMMENT NONSENSE WHEN UR COMMENTS GETS HIDDEN DUE TO LOW RATINGS.IT IS CLEAR THAT SALMAN N AAMIR R NO 1 BCOZ MOST PEOPLE HERE AGREE WITH THIS.U GO N SEE FIRST PAGE N FIRST 2 COMMENTS.

  • @suhas.for ur knowledge apart from Agneepath (courtesy sanjay dutt role) hritikh hav only 3 blockbusters that too from his father in his 13 yr career and akshay hav only one Blockbuster that is RR in his entire career(checkout boxofficeindia.com).those small hit to average movies that u r talking were most of them multistarer(priyadarshan,Hera pheri series) with many countless flop films in between.I agree that Salman delivered those flop films if u analyse 90% of them were friendly gesture or much delayed don’t forget he delivered No entry,partner,wanted top grossers of those yrs.yes in 2008 he didn’t delivered any hit.he is the man who suffered so much in his personnel life but hats off to him for his come back.
    No superstar can compete with him in the past, present and future. No one has guts to give a friendly gesture to friends to act in weak films at career peak other than Salman.he is totally care free of his stardom which is truly unmatched.

  • Should I stop visiting your site???
    Why dont you put my comment I dont use any abusive words on your site.I believe in healthy conversation.

  • @Mogambo
    man agree with u that salman is currently the biggest superstar in bollywood.But Dont take credit from Hrithik for agnipath.No one watches sanjay dutts today.whether its masses or classes.His movies dont open at all.see bo verdict of his recently realesed movie e.g Rascal,Chatur singh,department etc…..so he was just like a character actor in the movie It is just haters like you saying that he overshadow HR I didnt feel either or infact none of the critics has sad that.He was hardly in movie for 20 to 25 minutes.Again I am saying Salman is a bigger superstaar than HR but the later had a much better decade than the former till 2008.Hrithik has 3 movies which have been highest grosser of the year equal to all khans post 2000 era.before agnipath he has already set opening day records two times for dhoom:2 & krissh.that proves he can break and set opening day record.In classes Both have the same kind of fan following but salman has an edge in masses.Dont provide baseless argument he has enough fan to break or set opening day records.Overall Salman is current no 1 there is no denying in that for presently.

    0 0

  • @indicine, every big actor releases his movie in a festive period nowdays.. Moreover, ready was biggest non-festive hit ever, so there is no point of fetive or non- festive.. Salman is undisputed no 1.. ETT is Salman’s 1st movie wid a recognized director and a banner after a long period, and u kan feel wot capaity it might have and everybody is sure that its gonna 2nd biggest hit ever, and likely to be first by breaking 3idiots record.. Imagine if salman has few more gud movies with directors like Karan Johar n Rajkumar hirani, than no actor in bollywood lies on the same league where he will b..!

  • SRK is anyday a bttr actor than Salman.
    Salman has more fan follwng in india thn any othr actor (mayb coz ppl stick to actor who can compete wid Srk, this is wht I feel bt donno whts cookin in).
    Srk has d biggst fan followin among bolly stars WORLDWIDE.

  • whatever now you say after ETT he will be undisputed king of box office . whether it breaks 3 idiots record or not because it will be difficult for krish 3 dhoom3 and srk next to break ETT RECORD whatever it make. they not have that buzz what ETT had one year ago. 3 idiots is masterpiece from raju hirani everytime such film cannot be made

  • Salman ki acting agar dekhni hai to @kyon ki dekho paagal ka expresion aisa diya hai ki paagal bhi salman ki acting dekh ke thik ho jaye.

  • @mogambo.
    Yar ur knowledge about movies r outstanding believe me film critics like komal nahta & taran adarsh r nothing infront of u.

  • News 24 and zee news declared today that salman have the worst acting talent.
    HAHAHA
    Too bad for lallu fan … Poor guys

  • Arey aaj kal U foolish fans r just comparing salman with srk movies like ddlj,kkhh,etc etc…& declaring urself that salman doesn’t know acting.If u really have such guts then why dont u compare salman’s acting with srk in films like Hum aapke hain koun,tere naam,kyun ki,dabangg,hum dil de chuke sanam etc etc.. Ur mind will just get blocked.So stop praising ur srk as if he only created what is acting and rest all doesn’t know how to act.Even tusshar kapoor is best in acting in comedy flicks like golmaal series.Each & every actor is good at their aspects.May be i think u fans have not observed Salman gave equal competition in nomination of filmfare awards in both the films he acted with srk Karan Arjun & Kuch kuch hota hain.For being a guest role in kkhh he got nominated in best actor category that is not enough for u fools to prove how competative is salman for ur srk.
    WINNING IS NOT IMPORTANT BUT GIVING TOUGH COMPETITION MAKES THE WINNER TO SHIVER.

  • I don’t know why is it saying again again that festive release? is any barrier for other actor to release their film in festive season? no let them release their film in festive season as well Amir releasing his all movies in festive season Christmas and Srk in diwali then why the word festive is using for Salman???

  • @ indicine
    only giving 100 crore films doesn’t mean dat u r no. 1.
    Post article on rank of actors considering all qualities like awards, fan following, physique, looks,acting abilities, dance and BO power.
    Lets see who tops.

  • @amir, r u stupid? If that’s true then did Amir really bought padma bhoshan award just to show off in front of india? What a shamefull act then.

  • @indicine.you always said Eid is big festive season,so tell me since when and which films became blockbusters or atleast hit.and if u think Salman was to play safe then for your information ETT was suppose to release on June 3 and it’s Salman films made Eid a big boxoffice day and how a film makes 140+ crs on one day holiday release.imagine and compare it 5 day holiday Diwali release

  • you (indicine)always said Eid is big festive season,so tell me since when and which films became blockbusters or atleast hit.and if u think Salman was to play safe then for your information ETT was suppose to release on June 3 and it’s Salman films made Eid a big boxoffice day and how a film makes 140+ crs on one day holiday release.imagine and compare it 5 day holiday Diwali release

  • yes mogambo eid is not big festival like diwali
    eid is only one holiday for govt services
    not private service
    but diwali 3 day natonal holiday all sectors
    so advantage diwali more
    industries also give bonus on diwali

  • @Salman, Mogambo and all others who replied to my comment…

    I will only talk about the box office from year 2000, because before that there were no multiplexes. So from 2000 – 2010, Salman has acted in 31 films (Excluding special appearances) and he has just one solo-blockbuster Dabangg. Absolutely nothing else

    2003 tere naam – wasn’t a hit.. Hrithik’s Koi Mil Gaya did 2 times business.
    2004 mujhse shaadi karogi – How can you credit Salman for this? It had Akshay too.
    2005 no entry highest grosser – Salman had a extended special appearance and movie worked because it was good.
    2007 partner block buster – another remake where Govinda easily outshined Salman in every scene.
    2009 wanted and after – this is when action remakes started working and Salman started doing same roles without any sense or logic.

    So where were his fans when his movies were flopping? I was on Indicine at that time too and it was mainly SRK vs Hrithik in 2006 and SRK vs Akshay vs Aamir after that.

    Suddenly after Wanted, the so-called Salman fans (who are actually just SRK haters) started hijacking every article with Salman with utterly stupid comments. They disappeared after Veer flopped and now they will disappear again when his next movie flops.

    Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg wont flop because again Salman has opened for safe release. Can Salman ever do a film like Jodha Akbar? Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? Chak De India? NO NEVER. Can Salman ever win a Best Actor award? No even in his dreams.

    You need a good actor for such roles.. and accept it guys… Salman Khan cant act to save his life. Sorry, but he isnt even as good as Randeep Hooda.

  • @Suhas award kharid ke kya ukhad na public jisey pasand karey that’s all aur yehi baat sab pe bhari hai Bhai ki movie.

Leave a Comment