Tubelight Debuts With Good Occupancy: Will It Break Dangal, Baahubali 2’s Record?

Salman Khan starrer Tubelight has debuted at Indian box office with morning occupancy of over 45 per cent in the multiplexes and over 70 per cent in single screen theatres. Considering a normal working Friday (23 June), the occupancy report is above par.

The opening occupancy may seem a bit low considering the presence of Salman Khan, but the movie is expected to grow in the afternoon and evening shows, according to the advance booking reports. The movie has witnessed good bookings in Mumbai, Delhi, Rajasthan and several parts of Uttar Pradesh. Delhi leads the way with over 78 per cent advance bookings for the day, followed by Mumbai with close to 65 per cent bookings.

According to reports, popular multiplex chains like PVR and Carnival have sold over 70 per cent of the tickets for Friday (23 June). Major theatres are running more than 18 shows a day for Tubelight. The Kabir Khan directed film has seen a wide release of 4300 screens in India and over 1200 screens in the overseas market.

Single screens are the real winners in terms of occupancy. Reports suggest, single screens are running houseful in many places and ‘fast filling’ status for the afternoon and evening shows.

Looking at the occupancy rates for the movie, the question now arises is whether Tubelight will be able to break box-office collection records of Dangal and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.

While speaking to BW BusinessWorld Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor and distributor said, “The film has the potential to break Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan’s record but it’s a very ambitious proposition to overtake Baahubali 2 in the race.”

“However the film is falling under two tax slabs, pre-GST and post-GST, the makers are trying to deal with the taxation policy which will come into effect from July 1,” he mentioned.

In a recent interview with the Firstpost, Salman Khan said, "I doubt that Tubelight will break Baahubali 2's record, because the latter is one of the most freakish films that have been made.”

“As long as nobody loses money, I am fine. I don't feel the pressure," he added.

Prashanth Rangaswamy, South Indian film trade analyst said, “Baahubali was a pan India film with a universal appeal. Tubelight may earn 60 per cent of what Baahubali 2 did and that’s maximum number."

Tubelight has opened to great occupancy in Dubai and Germany. Tubelight’s Pakistan release has also been confirmed for Friday (23 June). However, the film’s China release is yet not finalised by the makers.

It is an emotional drama surrounding sibling love. Apart from Salman Khan, it also stars Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, Sohail Khan and late actor Om Puri in key roles.

Amidst the good opening, the only concern for Tubelight is the average reviews it has been generating. Very few critics have rated the film above 3 stars.