Aamir Khan to take on the Diwali box office

Until now, Bollywood’s biggest Diwali hit of all time has been Hrithik Roshan’s 2013 film Krrish 3. According to the production house, the film’s collections were about Rs 245 crore, and industry pundits estimate the actual figure to be about 15% less.

But soon, those figures may be history. With Yash Raj Films coming out with its most ambitious project yet — the Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan starrer Thugs of Hindostan — everyone expects Krrish 3 to be knocked out of its coveted position.

Says a trade source, “Thugs of Hindostan is believed to have been made at a cost of over Rs 200 crore. While satellite and digital rights are expected to fetch a handsome price, the film needs to make Rs 400 crore at the box office to break even, a feat that’s not been accomplished by any Diwali release in the history of Bollywood. For the film to be deemed a super-hit, it has to break the records set by Aamir Khan’s Dangal (Rs 487 crore) and Baahubali 2 (Rs 511 crore), and both of those films weren’t Diwali releases.”

Aamir’s last Diwali release as a lead actor was the film Andaz Apna Apna, which came out in the year 1994. And despite the film starring him and Salman Khan, it turned out to be a flop. Now, 24 years later, Aamir is taking on the Diwali box office once again in an attempt to make history. Only time will tell if this will be a happy Diwali or a diwala.

— Sanskriti Media