Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS): "Dabangg 2", the last big release of 2012, seems to cap the year on a profitable note. The Salman Khan-starrer opened with a record-breaking collection of Rs.21.10 crore on the first day and trade pundits predict it will enter the Rs.100-crore club.
Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines told IANS that "Dabangg 2" has opened "exceptionally well at the box office on Friday" and on Saturday "collected around Rs.17 crore and is going housefull on Sunday".
According to him, it is a record breaking opening and that "Dabangg 2" has broken the record of "Rowdy Rathore" that opened with Rs.15.10 crore.
A sequel to Abhinav Kashyap-directed 2010 blockbuster "Dabangg", the part two, said to be made at a budget of Rs.50 crore, marks Arbaaz Khan's directorial debut and repeated the lead pair of Salman and Sonakshi Sinha, while Prakash Raj replaced Sonu Sood as the villain.
Brijesh Tandon said: "In Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, 'Dabangg 2' has collected around Rs.3.40 crore on Friday which was quite expected from Salman's film. We hope the film gets bigger and better tonight."
Anand Verma of DT Cinema informed that at their centres it has got a "phenomenal response" despite a slow start on Friday morning and most of the shows have been "housefull".
However, Vinay Choksey of VIP Movies feels that Monday will be crucial to the movie.
He said: "Today (Sunday) the film is going housefull and it should collect around Rs.20 to Rs.23 crore. We are only concerned about the Monday morning collections. We hope there won't be any dip on Monday."
In Mumbai, according to Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir: "'Dabangg 2' was housefull at G7 and Maratha Mandir on Friday and Saturday. Even on Sunday the film is going housefull. Now let's see how the film does on Monday."
Will "Dabangg 2" break the record of Salman's earlier release, "Ek Tha Tiger", which earned Rs.33 crore on its opening day?
"I don't think 'Dabangg 2' will break the record of 'Ek Tha Tiger', but the film will certainly cross Rs.100 crore without any doubt. Besides, Tuesday is a (X-Mas) holiday, so the film will collect enough on Christmas."
Sunil Bansal of Yash Raj Jai Pictures Pvt Ltd said that in Rajasthan, "Dabangg 2" amassed around "Rs.1.25 crore on day one. On Saturday, the film collected around Rs.90 lakh".
Opening in Orissa has been average, according to Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers, who informed that "the film collected around Rs.30 lakh, but it is going housefull on Sunday".
"Nobody will ever face any loss with a Salman Khan film. But 'Ready' and 'Bodyguard' opened with better collection compared to 'Dabangg 2'," he added.
Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir said: "'Dabangg 2' was housefull at G7 and Maratha Mandir on Friday and Saturday. Even on Sunday the film is going housefull. Now let's see how the film does on Monady."
Made at a budget of Rs.40 crore, "Dabangg" had collected Rs.145 crore.