The stage is set for the two Eid releases – Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan. There is excitement for both the mega films, especially once the makers decided to release the film from the evening of April 10. This means that the first day of sorts for these films will be on Thursday, April 11, which is also the Eid holiday. Hence, trade experts expect a respectable day 1 number for both but they also maintain that the buzz is not sky high for either of the films.
Trade experts predict the first-day numbers of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan; feel BMCM can cross the Rs. 20 crore mark while Maidaan can have a double-digit opening
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said on Maidaan, “Sports-based films have done well in the past. But with such films, you also need to consider how the mass pockets would react. In this case, the urban centres might be good but Ajay Devgn is more of a mass star. His popularity among this audience is tremendous, right from his first film. I hope there are moments in Maidaan that appeal to the masses.”
He added, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is an action film and they have gone all out to promote it. The combination of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff is very good. It’s a novel cast. Again, it all depends on how strong the content is. The first day will be strong after which the content will have to do the talking.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan agreed, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan appeals to the masses while Maidaan is for the classes. The first choice of the masses would be Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. With films like Maidaan, it takes time to get the audience. It’ll be dependent on word of mouth.” He continued, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’s ticket sales also would be more. But its content needs to appeal to the target audience.”
Film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi opined, “Both the films feature superstars. While Bade Miyan Chote Miyan looks like a front-footed mass entertainer, Maidaan looks like a film that will grow by the day with word of mouth. I am very hopeful that both these films, catering to different segments of the audience, can co-exist fabulously and simultaneously and do very well in cinemas.”
He also stated, “I am not comparing in terms of magnitude of success and business, but it’s a bit like what happened with Gadar (2001) and Lagaan (2001). Gadar was an absolute mass entertainer while Lagaan was not the conventional entertainer and yet, went on and on to do well. We saw that more recently last year with Gadar 2 and OMG 2 or Animal and Sam Bahadur.”
Day 1 predictions
When asked how much the first-day collections would be, Taran Adarsh answered, “If the Eid holiday is on Thursday, then ideally Bade Miyan Chote Miyan should open at Rs. 20 crores plus. Maidaan should open at least Rs. 10 crores because of star power and depending on content.”
He also added, “As of now, the advance booking is not good at all.” One of the reasons is the lack of hit songs in both films. He exulted, “There’s not one number that you can recall. In the case of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, they are shot beautifully but the film lacks that one hit song that can take the buzz forward.”
Atul Mohan also felt that “The excitement is limited,” and that “The music hasn’t worked for both films.”
As for his day 1 prediction, he said, “Eid is a holiday. So, people will throng the cinemas for sure. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan can open at Rs. 20-22 crores. Maidaan will open at Rs. 10-12 crores.”
Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, predicted, “If Eid is on Thursday, then Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will open at Rs. 15-16 crores. It can go upto Rs. 17-18 crores. Maidaan will open at Rs. 12-13 crores.” He also added, “There’s a lot of talk about Maidaan’s strong content, from those who have seen the film. If that is true, then it’ll be unstoppable.”
Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst, calculated that both films combined can do a business of Rs. 25 crores on the first day, “Maidaan will do Rs. 10 crores while Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will collect Rs. 15 crores.”
Akshaye Rathi emphasized, “A mass entertainer like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, more than online or advance booking, is more about current booking. I have a feeling it’ll be able to open at Rs. 14-16 crore on day 1.” He also predicted, “Since Maidaan is not a hard core mass entertainer and is a film that’ll hopefully grow with word of mouth, it should open at Rs. 10 crores. I am sure with the positive reports, it’ll sustain fabulously.”
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, however, said, “The first day of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is expected to be around Rs. 12-15 crores while Maidaan will open at Rs. 7 crores.”
Akshay’s biggest hit?
Akshay Kumar’s highest grosser to date is Good Newwz (2019), which collected Rs. 205.14 crores. Can Bade Miyan Chote Miyan cross this figure and emerge as Akshay’s biggest hit? Girish Johar said, “It’s a huge possibility that Bade Miyan Chote Miyan can be Akshay Kumar’s highest grosser, provided the content clicks.”
When asked if Maidaan can cross the Rs. 100 crore mark, he replied, “Yes, if the film is extraordinary.” He remarked, “You never know when it comes to box office. Koi film chipak jaati hai toh chalti rehti hai.”
Atul Mohan said, “It’ll depend on word of mouth.” He added, “You never know. This can prove to be Akshay’s comeback vehicle.” He also reminded that even Maidaan can score due to lead actor Ajay Devgn’s presence, “Ajay’s Bholaa (2023) earned more than Rs. 70 crores. Drishyam 2 (2022) was a blockbuster. Shaitaan (2024) will do more than Rs. 140 crores. So, his recent track record is impressive.”
Akshaye Rathi also felt that Rs. 200 crores is a possibility for the action entertainer, “If all goes well, then of course (it can do so). Because not only do you have a star like Akshay Kumar, but you also have Tiger Shroff who is also a darling of the masses. Moreover, it is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar who has made commercial hits like Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). He has the capability to think scale and mass. If you put all these factors together and if the film is solidly entertaining, why not?”
Final words
Taran Adarsh signed off hoping the best for both the films, “I genuinely hope Maidaan picks up with the word of mouth. Also, it’s a content-based film and it will take time to grow.” He also said, “I have immense faith in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’s director Ali Abbas Zafar. I hope he doesn’t disappoint. The scale, I am sure will be visible on screen. I hope the content also matches it. With a star cast like this, the action genre and the Eid release, you can’t go wrong. It has to deliver.”
More Pages: Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Box Office Collection
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