Bollywood fans flocked to theaters when Shah Rukh Khan returned to a lead role in January after a four-year hiatus. That film, “Pathaan,” has earned nearly $130 million, more than Jennifer Lawrence’s comedy “No Hard Feelings” and “Air,” the Nike tale starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Now Khan and his supporters are coming back for more.
When “Jawan” opened in India on Thursday, eager audiences gathered in lines early in the morning to watch the latest from the actor known as the king of Bollywood. He has starred in dozens of films produced by one of the world’s largest film industries.
“Jawan”, a revenge thriller in which Khan plays a jailer in a women’s prison, was released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. A review in the Guardian called it “a great showcase for Khan playing everything under the sun: god-like villain, dandy military vet, sweetheart.”
Red Chillies Entertainment, Khan’s production company, he told Variety that “Jawan” collected $15.6 million worldwide on its opening day, the highest total in Bollywood history.
The breaking record was also held by Khan: ‘Pathaan’, produced by Yash Raj Films, grossed $12.7 million on its opening day. according to Variety.
“Thank you very much,” Khan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. “I keep trying in my small humble way to make our country proud in terms of film production.”
Although Khan had appeared in cameos in recent years, spy adventure “Pathaan” was his first lead role after December 2018’s “Zero”, which struggled commercially. In ‘Pathaan’, part of a larger cinematic universe, Khan’s character tries to prevent a deadly virus attack.
“Pathaan”, which is now available for rent or purchase major American platforms, grossed around $77 million in India and $52 million more internationally. is currently 24th at the worldwide box office this year, behind “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” “Evil Dead Rise” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
“Typical alcohol specialist. Music evangelist. Total travel scholar. Internet buff. Passionate entrepreneur.”