There’s no doubt that the unprecedented success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan has brought untold joy in the trade. The box-office collections of the spy thriller, directed by Siddharth Anand, are so phenomenal that one finds it difficult to believe that a film can be so unstoppable at the turnstiles. After the film stunned everyone on the day of release with an outstanding all-India collection figure of Rs. 57 crore, it took people’s breath away on the second day when it netted Rs. 70.50 crore. Was this for real? After two such earth-shattering days, it was a given that the collections would fall by at least 60-70% on day 3, but again, the film did not cease to surprise because the fall in collections was only 48% as compared to the previous day, and 36% in comparison to the first day. At the rate at which tickets are selling today, the fourth day might close at Rs. 55-plus crore! All this is nothing short of being historic.
With the good, comes the bad. And here’s the bad — actually, sad — news. Cinemas in Amravati, Dhule, Malegaon, Raipur, Bilaspur and Nasik are restricting people’s entry into the cinemas screening Pathaan. Why would anyone do that, you are apt to ask.
Frankly, this is unprecedented! Exhibitors of the aforementioned stations are at their wits’ end trying to control the madness of the crowds in the cinemas while watching the blockbuster. Especially, at the fag end of the film, people get so excited that they start dancing in the aisles and on the stage, close to the screen. There’s no harm in this because it is the public’s way of showing how much they’ve enjoyed the film. But several cinemas are now reporting damage to the screens because of this frenzy. In their excitement, people don’t realise that they are dancing so close to the screens that they are damaging them in the process. Not just the screens of the cinemas but also the seats are being found broken because a lot of people, unable to control their enthusiasm, are actually dancing on their seats towards the end of the film, on the Jhoome jo Pathaan song.
This has caused unnecessary losses to the cinemas which, therefore, have now started to restrict the inflow of people in their cinemas. Believe it or not, some of the cinemas in the aforementioned stations are not issuing tickets once around 30-35% of their seats are booked because that’s all that their staff can control. It doesn’t need to be added that this is causing a loss not just to the cinemas but also to Yash Raj Film Distributors because the collections are being artificially controlled.
It would be in the fitness of things if Shah Rukh Khan appealed to his fans to take care while celebrating his film and not damage cinema properties while expressing their joy and love for the film and its cast. His one appeal and request would definitely go a long way in prompting his fans to take care while celebrating Pathaan.