Raees vs Kaabil - First Day Box Office

The battle between "Raees" and "Kaabil" was termed as the biggest clash of Bollywood in recent history. Hrithik Roshan on one side and Shah Rukh Khan on the other side - the names justify why it was called the biggest clash of Bollywood.

Both films opened on 25th January. Let's see how these films performed at the box office. I've previously written an article about Raees having an upper hand in the battle against Kaabil. You can read it below -

• Why Raees Has An Upper Hand Against Kaabil At The Box Office.

What are the critics saying?

Let's have a look at some review from some of the top critics.

1. This one's from Taran Adarsh.

#Raees movie review: SRK is sensational. There’s no stopping this one. An outright winner. Just don’t miss it! Link: https://t.co/qXs4liltKQ pic.twitter.com/Eh9BhMTNOg

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 24, 2017

2. This one's from Anupama Chopra

REVIEW: @iHrithik invests sweat & sincerity into this slim story. My take: https://t.co/YIlybRrk2x

— Anupama Chopra (@anupamachopra) January 25, 2017

3. This one's from Komal Nahta

#Raees may lack novelty in story but it has entertaining masala to score at the box-office. Read my review at https://t.co/hjskMZrg3a

— Komal Nahta (@KomalNahta) January 25, 2017

Now box-office

Critics can go to hell. The reviews from the audiences are all that matters when it comes to box-office collections. Both the films got excellent reviews from the audiences. But Raees took the opening day by storm due to the star-power while Kaabil was left far behind.


Raees maintained an occupancy of 80-90% throughout the day while Kaabil managed only 40-50% occupancy. Kaabil played better in South India while Raees was the undisputed winner everywhere else. Raees may or may not have set an opening day record in West Bengal - it can only be confirmed after the dust settles.


Now, as per Taran Adarsh, the opening-day box-office collection for Raees is -

#Raees has a FANTASTIC Day 1... Wed ₹ 20.42 cr... Today [Thu; Republic Day] will witness HUMONGOUS biz again.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 26, 2017

For Kaabil, the opening-day stands at -

#Kaabil Wed ₹ 10.43 cr... Biz should escalate today [Thu; Republic Day].

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 26, 2017

Conclusion

As expected, Raees took a much better opening than Kaabil due to the presence of SRK. Today, both the films will get a huge boost in the collections as today is a national holiday. The collections will depend upon "word-of-mouth" from tomorrow.

Raees vs Kaabil - Why Raees Has An Edge Over Kaabil At Box-Office

So the anticipated day is coming. We'll get to witness one of the biggest box-office clashes in the history of Indian cinema. Here's my take on why Raees has the edge in the "Raees vs Kaabil" fight.

Source - SRK's Twitter

Through the years, we've witnessed many box-office clashes. Actually, SRK is fond of clashes as it seems. His "Jab Tak Hai Jaan":


It clashed with Ajay Devgan's "Son Of Sardaar" during Diwali in 2012. In 2015, SRK's "Dilwale" went head to head against Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ranveer Singh's "Bajirao Mastani." While SRK did won the first battle but lost badly to the period drama "Bajirao Mastani."

SRK then decided to go against Salman Khan's "Sultan." The clash was avoided luckily as Raees got postponed. And here we are - another battle between two Bollywood biggies. Raees and Kaabil - both are releasing on the same date, 25th January 2017. Let's compare them then.

Source - Wikipedia

Trailer

Trailers from both camps look promising for sure. Raees looks to be a "mass-entertainer" which the single screen audience will enjoy. At the same time, Kaabil somewhat seems to be an "off-bit" film which the urban audience will prefer for sure.

But Kaabil's story seems a bit much generic. On the other hand, Raees is based on a real-life story(Spoiler!)

Remember, a 3 minutes trailer is no indication of how well made a movie is:

Verdict - Kaabil's trailer just doesn't have the same wow factor as of Raees's.

Fanbase

This is an area where SRK has a wide lead over Hrithik. No matter how SRK's last few movies (Fan, Dilwale) have performed at the box-office, his fan base is still way more than Hrithik's. The fanbase is an important indication of opening day collections.

Verdict - Simply put, Raees will take a larger opening than Kaabil.

Actors

Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui on one side and Hrithik Roshan, Ronit Roy on another side - when it comes to acting, they all are some of finest actors of this country.

But Kaabil may have an edge here because of the female lead. Yami Gautam can connect more easily with the Indian people than Mahira Khan as the later is from Pakistan. There's a bit much controversy over this matter as well. It may affect Raees.

Verdict - Kaabil has an edge in this department.

Mahira Khan

Directors

Rahul Dholakia, director of Raees has won a "National Film Award For Best Direction" for his movie "Parzania." But at the same time, he has done films like "Lamhaa" which was not received so well by the critics. Sanjay Gupta, director of Kaabil is much more experienced and has done films like "Kaante" which was well received by the critics. Kaante was based on Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs."

Verdict - A tie. Both directors have proved that they have the ability to direct good films.

Songs

Urvashi Rautela's Haseeno Ka Deewana is simply no match for Sunny Leone's Laila Main Laila. Arijit Singh's Zaalima, the other track from Raees seems to dominate over other songs from Kaabil also. Songs are one of the most important things to connect with the masses.

Verdict - Raees is a clear winner in this department.

You can have a look at the links below to know more about the comic book movies coming out this year -

Logan, Guardians Of The Galaxy vol.2, The Lego Batman and Woner Woman

Spiderman, Justice League, Thor, Star Wars

Final Verdict

All in all, Raees will take in a much larger connection than Kaabil over the first weekend and possibly the first week. But thereafter, collections will solely depend upon "word of mouth." No matter who wins in the battle between "Raees vs Kaabil", the industry will win for sure.

Comic Book Or Superhero Movies Coming Out In 2017 - Part 2

This is a follow-up to the previous article about comic book or superhero movies which are gonna release in 2017. You can read that article by clicking here - Logan, Wonder Woman, The Lego Batman Movie, Guardians Of The Galaxy vol.2

1. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Brand - Sony, Disney(Marvel Cinematic Universe/MCU)

Release Date - 7th July 2017.

The title is so apt. Spidey's coming home and by home I mean MCU. Sony butchered the last two Amazing Spider-Man movies and then they asked Marvel for guidance. We finally get to see the nerdy, teenage Spidey (Tom Holland) going through all the troubles of high school and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) acting as a father-figure for him. Micheal Keaton's Vulture looks real bada** and we may or may not have seen The Shocker. It seems like another billion dollar franchise for Marvel.

Source - Laughing Place

2. Thor: Ragnarok

Brand - Disney (Marvel Cinematic Universe/MCU)

Release Date - 3rd November 2017.

The previous Thor movie was not so good (pretty bad actually). But this time, we'll see Hulk in the film besides Thor and Loki. A cameo from Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange is also on the cards. The director, Taika Waititi is talented but let's see the final product and then decide.

3. Justice League

Brand - Warner Bros. (DC Extended Universe/ DCEU)

Release Date - 17th November 2017.

Don't even think about comparing it to Avengers. Marvel introduced almost every superhero in their origin films and then came the team-up in form of 2012's Avengers. DC just threw their three most iconic characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) in their second film and now we're getting a Justice League movie without getting any proper introduction of Flash, Aquaman or Cyborg. Make no mistakes this time Mr Zack Snyder.

4. Star Wars: Episode VIII

Brand - Disney (Lucasfilm)

Release Date - 15th December 2017

This may be a bit controversial entry in this list. This movie is set up after 2015's The Force Awakens. This isn't a spin-off like Rogue One so we'll get to see Lightsaber and Jedi. Luke Skywalker is coming back and so is Kylo Ren.

What is your most anticipated comic book or superhero movie this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Comic Book Or Superhero Movies Coming Out In 2017 - Part 1

Many comic book movies (or superhero movies) are coming out in 2017. Here's some information about them -

1. Logan

Brand - FOX (Marvel)

Release Date - 3rd March 2017.

Based on "Old Man Logan" comics, this is shaping up to be every Wolverine fan's wet-dream. Thanks to Deadpool, we finally can see Wolverine ripping through the jaws of those bad guys. If the trailer was any indication, this is looking like an Oscar - contender. Also, the emotional value attached to this film is too damn high. We'll get to see Hugh Jackman reprising the iconic role for the last time. The fans will surely love to see him fighting beside Deadpool in the X-Men costume. Make that happen FOX.

2. The Lego Batman Movie

Brand - Warner Bros. (DC)

Release Date - 10th February 2017.

When Warner Bros, released the original Lego movie back in 2014, it received positive responses from the critics as well as from the audience. It was also a blockbuster hit in terms of box-office collection. So a sequel was pretty much guaranteed. This year, we see Joker in the action against Batman and Robin. Going by the trailers, your stomach is likely to hurt after laughing continuously for 90 minutes.

3. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Brand - Disney (Marvel Cinematic Universe/MCU)

Release Date - 5th May 2017

Some termed it as Marvel's riskiest project. But Marvel showed that they can make everyone fall in love with a talking racoon and a tree. Guardians Of The Galaxy took the Marvel brand to new heights in 2014. They are coming back once again. The anticipation is sky-high. This movie features Chris Patt, Bradley Cooper and David Bautista. Combine all of them with an adorable baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and we're looking at maybe the highest grosser of 2017.

4. Wonder Woman

Brand - Warner Bros. (DC Extended Universe/DCEU)

Release Date - 2nd June 2017

What I enjoyed the most in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? The on-screen presence of Wonder Woman. This year, we see her going all in to save the world. Be prepared to get hooked up by the "Lasso of Truth" and the theme song.

Click here to see part 2 for information on Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Justice League and Star Wars.