Actor not bothered, says film will get him a lot of respect
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who is known for lighting up the box office during the festival of Eid, got a flickering start with his new film Tubelight. The Kabir Khan directorial only managed to rake in Rs64.77 crore, making it the actor’s lowest opening weekend release in the past few years, say trade experts. All now depends on Monday’s Eid holiday to push up the returns and pass the litmus test.
However, the superstar is hopeful and says the reviews are better than what he expected. “The critics were really good. I was expecting minus three and minus four but they have given one-and-half rating apparently. I am very pleased with that. Reports are that people can’t see me crying (on screen). So I asked, ‘Are they (audience) laughing and the answer was no, they are crying. So I said, ‘don’t worry about it’,” Salman told reporters last evening.
The actor, however, says Tubelight, an emotional drama set against the backdrop of the 1962 India-China War, subverts the expectations of the audience as it is not a “masala” entertainer.
“As it is an Eid release people have pre-conceived notions (about the film) as they throw coins, dance, sing in the cinema halls. They have gone to watch a certain film but get to watch another film. It is a very emotional film. Even an emotionless, stone-hearted person will have tears in his eyes. So this is an emotional film to be seen with parents, grand parents and entire family,” he added.
When asked if there was a sense of failure, Salman reacted, “What! Does it look bothered (pointing towards his face). I am not bothered. I am sure it is going to do ok. It is going to get us a lot of respect.” The superstar was talking on the sidelines of an event to announce an association between his foundation Being Human and the PVR group.
The film, which released on June 23 and collected Rs21.15 crore on its opening day, didn’t register any major hike in the subsequent two days and remained steady over the weekend by collecting Rs21.17 crore and Rs22.45 crore on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who describes the film as a “disappointment,” shared the opening weekend collections of Salman’s last few releases during Eid on Twitter. “Salman and Eid – opening weekend... 2011: Bodyguard – Rs88.75 crore (Wednesday-Sunday), 2012: Ek Tha Tiger – Rs100.16 crore (Wednesday-Sunday), 2014: Kick Rs83.83 crore (Friday-Sunday), 2015: Bajrangi Bhaijaan – Rs102.60 crore (Friday-Sunday), 2016: Sultan – Rs105.53 crore (Wednesday-Sunday) –2017: and Tubelight – Rs64.77 crore (Friday-Sunday),” Adarsh tweeted on Monday.
“Tubelight rests on a thin plot... Screenplay lacks the power to enthrall and mesmerise... Emotions plenty but few moments stand out,” Adarsh wrote. Trade expert Komal Nahta said that the film has performed “below expectations.”
“This Tubelight has a faulty choke (script). And this is no joke. Uninteresting and not entertaining,” he tweeted. In three days, it couldn’t even beat the opening weekend collections of Raees and Kaabil which had released together. Raees earned Rs93.24 crore while Kaabil had made Rs67.46 crore on their opening weekend. However, it did leave behind Akshay Kumar, whose Jolly llB 2 had made Rs50.46 crore in first three days.