Gadar 2: Five reasons why Sunny Deol’s film is breaking box office records
The trade experts and film industry expected Gadar 2 to be a hit at the box office. The Sunny Deol film, however, has surpassed all expectations and is now inching towards becoming the highest grosser of the year for an Indian film. (Also read: Gadar 2 crosses ₹250 cr mark, moves fast towards ₹300 cr)
Directed by Anil Sharma, Gadar 2 is a sequel to the 2001 blockbuster in which Sunny essayed the role of Tara Singh, a truck driver, while Ameesha Patel played Sakina. Anil’s son Utkarsh Sharma also revives his role of their son, Jeete in the film.
As the film crosses ₹200-crore in India, we list down five factors that may have really worked in the favour of the film that features Sunny alongside Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma.
1. The nostalgia factor
Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2 is as much a new film, as it is an ode to his 2001 hit Gadar Ek Prem Katha. The story continues 22 years after the events of the first part. Sakeena and Tara were a big hit with the audiences, as were the beautiful songs and action.
Refreshingly, Anil has made very few changes to the songs in the new film and they still sound evergreen. Ameesha and Sunny’s chemistry reminded fans of what they saw all those years ago.
Almost the entire first half of the film revisits the iconic scenes from Gadar EK Prem Katha. From Main Nikla Gaddi Leke to even the handpump scene. The promos have done a lot to invite the audiences back to the theatres, and relive the magic of Gadar Ek Prem Katha.
2. Patriotic Fervour
Given the mood of the nation right now, Gadar 2 ably rides high on the patriotic feel of the narrative. Add Pakistan as the villain to any story and all the fence-sitting patriots join the club. The affect can be seen with slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Hindustan Zindabad being raised at screenings. The dialogues from the original are still fresh in people’s memory and Sunny Deol promised to bring more of the same in this film as well.
3. Timing of the release – Independence Day
The producers of Gadar 2 timed the release well – ahead of the Independence Day and turned the film’s release into a five-day long holiday. Gadar 2 has garnered a domestic total of ₹ 263.48 crore and has crossed the ₹300 crore-mark globally. After making an impressive opening with ₹ 40 crore on Friday, August 11, the film’s collections rose to ₹ 51 crore on Sunday. Following a slight dip on Monday ( ₹ 38.7 crore), Gadar 2 earned a massive ₹ 55 crore on Independence Day – the fifth day of the release.
4. Revival of single screens
The single screens have performed exceptionally well with Gadar 2. Right from the advance bookings, to the collective five day-collections, the single screens from the heartland of India have contributed majorly to the film’s earnings. Not just Punjab, Bihar, UP, and Rajasthan, the film has had a huge reception in single screen theatres in states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
A Live Mint report said that single screen cinemas have “even added shows as early as 1:00 am and 4:30 am to accommodate audiences”. Producer and film business expert Girish Johar said that even the multiplexes in tier two and tier three cities across India have had a good footfall for Gadar 2.
5. Paisa-vasool entertainment
Gadar 2 has not received great reviews, but the film offers the right entertainment quotient for people who have been rooting for Sunny and the movie. Girish insisted that apart from nostalgia, the star power and entertainment quotient have worked hugely for the film.
“Audience had been waiting for Sunny Deol‘s roar in cinemas. Gadar 2 is clearly riding on nostalgia, the mood of the nation and entertainment. Public got whatever was promised during promotions and media and social media interactions of the team prior to the release. Public feels they got paisa vasool, worth of their money and they do not feel cheated at all,” Girish added. He also said that cinema is essentially entertainment and was earlier supposed to be the escapist world for the audience.
