Salman Khan’s Eid releases: A blockbuster formula

For Salman Khan fans Eid celebrations aren’t complete without a film from their idol. That’s how it’s been since 2009, when Salman Khan struck box-office gold with Wanted. Every year since – except for 2013 when Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express became the Eid release – Salman has had a film hit the screens for the festival.  Here’s the hit list:

2009 Wanted

In this remake of the Telugu hit Pokiri, Salman played a rowdy – who’s actually a cop – protecting the woman he loves and taking on the baddies. Wanted was the second biggest grosser of 2009 and earned Rs 107 crores in India.

2010 Dabangg

Dabangg, in which Sallu plays Chulbul Pandey, a cop styled on Robin Hood, became the first of a hugely successful franchise.  The film, in which he shared screen space with Sonakshi Sinha, became the most successful release of the year and made Rs 140 crores at the domestic box-office.

2011 Bodyguard

Salman Khan played personal bodyguard to the Kareena Kapoor character in this film that was a remake of a Malayalam flick with the same title. It broke records all the way and became the film with the highest opening day earnings at the time. Bodyguard went on to make Rs 100 crores.

2012 Ek Tha Tiger

This is one of Salman’s biggest hits ever. He played a hardened spy in the film, teaming up with Katrina Kaif with whom he was reportedly in a relationship before that.  The film joined the list of highest-earners ever and was described as a ‘historic blockbuster’.

2014 Kick

This, again, was a remake of a Telugu film of the same name. Critics gave it a lukewarm reception, but audiences didn’t seem to care. Perhaps they had missed a Sallu release for Eid the previous year. In any case, they flooded the theatres and the film earned a whopping Rs 600 crores worldwide.

2015 Bajrangi Bhaijaan

This year’s Eid release is an Indo-Pak story. Salman teams up again with his Bodyguard co-star Kareena Kapoor. Expectations are running high and it looks all set to be another Eid superhit from the Khan.

2016 Sultan

Salman Khan has also announced his Eid releases for the next two years. Next year, it’s going to be Yash Raj Films’ Sultan, in which he reportedly plays a boxer. What’s more SRK’s Raees is also scheduled to release around that time. That should be an interesting box-office battle for sure. 

2017 Dabangg 3

The third in the Dabangg franchise, still in scripting stage, is planned as a 2017 Eid release. So fans can catch Chulbul Pandy in action again.

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