August 11 to August 13 was the biggest weekend of 2023 with four films clashing at the box office -- Gadar 2, OMG 2, Jailer and Bholaa Shankar. Unprecedented frenzy was witnessed across the country and theatres charted record-breaking footfall, not just in the metro cities, but in the smaller pockets of the nation as well.
All the four films had mass appeal attached to them. In Gadar 2, Sunny Deol waged a war against entire Pakistan for his son, while in OMG 2, Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi take up a fight for proper sex education in schools.
On the other hand, Jailer saw Rajinikanth return to the silver screens after two years, and in Bholaa Shankar, "megastar" Chiranjeevi worked his usual charm once again.
'It was historic weekend': Producers' Guild
As the momentous weekend came to an end, the Producers' Guild of India and Multiplex Association of India announced that August 11 to 13 was the busiest single weekend post the COVID-19 lockdown.
"The weekend set a new All-time Theatrical Gross Box Office record for the Cinema Industry in its 100+ year's history. The weekend drew 2.10+ Crore moviegoers to theatres across the country, which is also the highest combined Admissions record in the last 10 year history," the joint statement by both the organisations read.
Shibasish Sarkar, President Producers Guild of India, said, "The turnout at theatres has infused a new energy in our Industry, audiences are responding in numbers we have not seen for a very long time, even the early morning shows are getting sold out. This weekend has been a wonderful experience for people who love the mainstream Indian films."
'Cinema is back in a big way'
Kamal Gianchandani, President, MAI, added, "It was a historic weekend, it proves once again that India loves going to the movies to see great films. This weekend is also an undeniable demonstration of Cinemas being the ultimate place to be part of a shared experience. Cinemas across the country would like to thank and congratulate our Filmmakers and Studios for pushing the boundaries to deliver unforgettable storytelling. This weekend shows that movies and cinemas are back in a big, big way. We look forward to this momentum continuing in the rest of 2023."
Amongst the four films, Rajinikanth's Jailer, which released on August 10, has minted the maximum money. It has raked in close to Rs 145 crore in India in just four days.
Following it closely is Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 which has wrecked havoc at theatres. It became the second fastest Hindi film to enter Rs 100 crore club after Pathaan.
Akshay's OMG 2, despite getting an 'A' certificate, is just a few crores away from entering the Rs 50 crore club.
