Sachin: A Billion Dreams (SABD) has opened to fantastic response at the Indian box office on the first day and will become the second biggest opening biographical movie after MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.
Sachin: A Billion Dreams is one of the most-talked biographical movies and was released in 2,400 screens across the domestic market. The movie had huge pre-release hype and promotion, but it could not translate to big numbers in advance booking, which had made people in the film industry think that it might open to a lukewarm response.
Some even thought it might not work at the box office as it is a documentary. KRK aka Kamaal R Khan tweeted: "Film #SachinABillionDreams will open 15-20% n day1 business will be 2-3Cr. Because it's just a documentary not a film. I haven't watched #SachinABiliionDreams neither I have reviewed it. I just said that I can't have courage to watch a documentary for 3Hours."
But Sachin Tendulkar's biopic has surprised everyone by running to packed houses in several centres across the domestic market in the morning show. Sachin: A Billion Dreams registered an average of 50 percent occupancy in the first show and the footfalls increased in the second show.
The James Erskine-directed film has received positive response from audience and the word of mouth is expected to take its business upwards in the evening shows. As per early trends, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is likely to collect over Rs 10 crore at the domestic box office on the first day.
KRK tweeted: "#SachinABillionDream has got bigger opening of 40-50% than film #Dhoni withut any hero, heroine n songs. Day1 busines can be 9-10Cr. Superb! It's proof that film #Dhoni business was just coz of Dhoni not Sushant. Film Raabta will decide Sushant's stardom."
MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, which was released in theatres on September 30, 2016, collected Rs 21.30 crore nett at the domestic box office and is the highest grossing Indian biographical movie. Now, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is set to land in the second place.