What does it take for a movie to be a hit at the Box Office? An awesome cast, a good director and an interesting story. But what about the release date? With festivals playing a big part as release dates for movies, many stars lock horns to make sure that their movies get the desired dates. You can call it superstition or just good strategy, but the festival of Eid has often proven to be the perfect time for Box Office success.
Here are 12 movies that were lucky to blessed by the festival of Eid:
1. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) – Rs. 117 Crores
A huge star cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. An epic family drama that enthralled audiences the world over. Another masterpiece by Karan Johar. The earnings certainly got them only khushi, no gham.
2. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)- Rs. 130 Crores
Karan Johar was at it again with this romantic comedy that won the audience’s hearts. A cast that included King Khan and Preity Zinta in the lead, supported by Saif Ali Khan and Jaya Bachchan, the story bagged numerous awards. Saif Ali Khan won every single award in the industry for Best Supporting Actor that year.
3. Veer-Zaara (2004) – Rs. 94 Crores
A love story across borders between Shahrukh Khan (Veer) and Preity Zinta (Zaara) set with a back drop of Indo-Pak conflict. “Woh kehte hain yeh mera des nahin , Phir kyon mere des jaisa lagta hai? Woh kehte hai main us jaisa nahin, Phir kyon mujh jaisa woh lagta hai? ” *Heart melts*
4. Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) – Rs. 105 Crores
A remake by Farhan Akhtar of the initial Amitabh Bachchan starrer back in 1976. The movie has SRK, who is accompanied in the star cast by Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Boman Irani and Isha Kopikar. 100 crore ki earning mushkil nahi aur namumkin bhi nahi.
5. Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) – Rs. 84 Crores
Shiney Ahuja certainly shined in this movie and so did Akshay Kumar. But a brilliant performance by Vidya Balan made it a huge success. The genre of the movie is true to its title; a psychological comedy horror. Wow!
6. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007) – Rs. 57 Crores
Rani Mukherjee, you beauty! She got Filmfare & Stardust Best Actress Award for her role in this flick. Although the movie did not do very well in India, due to Bhool Bhulaiyya’s release, it was huge success overseas.
7. Wanted (2009) – Rs. 136 Crores
The Salman Khan action starrer was one of his movies to be released on Eid. And that sort of became a blessing for him. It was the second highest grossing movie of 2009. That is Bhai’s power!
8. Dabangg (2010) – Rs. 215 Crores
Another masala action hit that brought Inspector Chulbul Pandey to life. Salman Khan carried another huge project on his shoulders and saw it through. It was also the debut of Sonakshi Sinha, who shot to fame soon after. And who can forget Munni? An item song that rocked the country!
9. Bodyguard (2011) – Rs. 230 Crores
Bhai did it again. This time, he played a well-built (when is he not!), sort of uptight bodyguard in a movie which was a remake of a Malayalam film by the same name. The movie was the highest grosser for a single day up until then.
10. Ek Tha Tiger (2012) – Rs. 320 Crores
Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif. The cast itself was enough to attract audiences to the movie halls. And the plot, where Salman is a RAW agent, just made it even more interesting. One of the most successful Yash Raj movies ever. It was only the 2nd movie to cross the 300 crore barrier.
11. Chennai Express (2013) – Rs. 422 Crores
Years after Salman Khan’s movies had ruled the screens on Eid, King Khan got another shot at it. And boy, the earnings did not disappoint. Another blockbuster by SRK, this time with co-star Deepika Padukone. “Don’t underestimate the power of an Eid release” .
12. Kick (2014) – Rs. 377 Crores
Salman didn’t just act but sang a song as well. And the ‘hangover’ of the earnings certainly loomed large, making this one of Salman Khan’s biggest blockbusters ever. To add to the charm of the film, not only was the lead actress Jacqueline Fernandez, but the movie also features an item song with Nargis Fakri. How is that for a long lasting Kick?
Many of these movies were not critically acclaimed or well received storywise. But they shattered records when it came to gross earnings at the Box Office. It seems Eid has played its part in blessing these flicks with good fortune.
This year, we eagerly await for Bajrangi Bhaijaan to hit the screen. Let’s see how it goes.
Eid Mubarak!
