Shah Rukh Khan is returning to the big screen after a long gap of three years with King. Expectations are sky-high. But the biggest pressure SRK is facing is from the records that he has created himself with Pathaan and Jawan in 2023.
While Pathaan collected around Rs. 1,050 crores, it was followed by Jawan with Rs. 2,200 crores. King will mark his reunion with Siddharth after Pathaan. Considering that Siddharth knows how to present SRK in a way that will appeal to his fans, everyone is waiting to see whether the duo can bring something better this time.
On the other hand, one thing that has raised concern is whether the benchmark set by SRK with Pathaan and Jawan will create trouble for King, even if it works at the box office.
For the unversed, the above-mentioned figures of SRK’s last two blockbusters were worldwide numbers. It was a new record made in Bollywood since the previous figures for the same level of record fell under Rs. 300-400 crores, which was easy to achieve.
So definitely, this time, the numbers have to be bigger. Certain trade experts are also expecting more than Rs. 1,100 crores. Considering SRK’s stardom, a figure of Rs. 700 crores is also not bad. But it will be lower than the ones that he has made with the other two films, which means that overall, King will be considered an underperformer.
While the real budget of the film has not been confirmed, Siddharth has previously dismissed the claim that the overall cost is Rs. 450 crores. Even if this figure is real, the release period and the opening numbers will decide the film’s fate at the box office.
King is facing two big obstacles in the form of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three. Although the Hollywood films won’t be a big competition at single screens, they will give a tough fight at the multiplexes, specifically for the premium formats.
SRK’s return to the screen after a long time will undoubtedly help in a big opening. But the situation is different right now. Audiences have witnessed that SRK can do action and can deliver a film that attracts the masses. Now people are expecting the same and even better, with all the elements that will impress the fans.
After the success of Dhurandhar 2, people want movies to be as realistic as possible without going too over-the-top. Although Siddharth tasted success with Pathaan, his next release, Fighter, failed to create the same records.
Audiences are not going to forget their experience with Fighter. Now everything will depend on strong promotions, specifically an attractive trailer and chartbuster music, which also contributed to the success of Pathaan and Jawan. Let’s wait and see how long audiences have to wait to catch another glimpse.
