As Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 gears up for a clash with Emraan Hashmi’s Awarapan 2 this year, here’s a lowdown on how the lucrative release window has fared for Hindi films in the last 10 years
The Independence Day weekend, historically, has been one reserved for big, tentpole films.
Main Development
Vidyut Jammwal’s Khuda Haafiz released on JioHotstar (then Disney+ Hotstar). This year, the Covid pandemic affected life everywhere. With movie theatres shut down, it was left to OTT to entertain people within their homes.
With movie theatres still shut, 2021 too saw an OTT release on the Independence Day weekend: Ajay Devgn’s multi-starrer Bhuj: The Pride of India.
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Akshay won, with Rustom garnering not just ₹ 127 crores in ticket sales in India, but also fetching him a National Award for Best Actor. Mohenjodaro, on the other hand, earned ₹ 58 crores (all-India) and sealed its fate. Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the film was a big success, collecting ₹ 134 crores across India. 2019 was a repeat of 2018, as the two stars decided to release their films on the same Independence Day weekend. Mission Mangal, a multi-starrer, was about India’s first interplanetary expedition, the Mars Orbiter Mission, while Batla House was based on the 2008 encounter at Batla House in Mumbai. Both films worked, with Akshay’s film earning ₹ 203 crores, and John’s film collecting ₹ 87 crores. 2023 brought back memories of how high-voltage the I-Day weekend can be for the film industry. Sunny Deol , at the age of 65, single handedly delivered a blockbuster, a sequel to his 2001 iconic hit Gadar. Gadar 2 earned a cool ₹ 525 crores, and OMG 2 ₹ 150 crores.
It was termed a battle of the titans, as Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan both were ready with their films in the weekend leading up to Independence Day. Akshay’s film was based on the sensational, real-life Nanavati case, while Hrithik’s was a love story set in the times of the Mohenjodaro civilisation. Akshay Kumar was truly on a golden streak back then, with back to back hit films to his credit. Amidst this came Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, emphasising on the need for better sanitation measures in the country. It was even praised by the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and billionaire businessman & philanthropist Bill Gates. Akshay vs John, second year in a row! This time, both their films had a real-life connect. Two superstars bounced back massively with their respective films. Akshay, with a film based on an unconventional subject, silenced all naysayers.
