Bade Miyan Chote Miyan vs Maidaan Box Office: First-Day Collections of Eid Releases Over 15 Years - Where Do Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff and Ajay Devgn's Movies Stand?
This is the second Eid release of Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff in 15 years, and Akshay Kumar's first. Among all the male superstars, it is, of course, Salman Khan who has the best box office streak during the festival, while Shah Rukh Khan is the only other superstar to deliver a blockbuster during Eid.
The results for the first-day collections of Bollywood's Eid 2024 releases are in, and they're not something to crow about. We had two major Hindi releases: Amit Sharma's Maidaan and Ali Abbas Zafar's Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Maidaan is a sports biopic on former football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, starring Ajay Devgn, while Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is an action entertainer featuring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff as the main leads. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Movie Review: Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff Turn Buddy-Action Into Migraine-Inducing Boredom.
Although Maidaan had preview shows on April 10, both movies had proper releases on April 11. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had a better opening compared to Maidaan, even with its preview collections. However, it faces accusations of inflated earnings and corporate bookings. Despite this, most trade analysts are dissatisfied with the films' box office starts, arguing that they haven't capitalized on the holiday advantage or Eid benefits.
So, are these claims true? To answer that, let's examine the first-day collections of all major Eid releases from the past 15 years and compare how Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan fare in terms of their India collections (figures sourced from Bollywood Hungama).
2009
Wanted - Rs 5.10 crore (Box Office Status - Hit)
Dil Bole Hadippa - Rs 3.42 crore (Box Office Status - Flop)
2010
Dabangg - Rs 14.50 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2011
Bodyguard - Rs 21.60 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2012
Ek Tha Tiger - Rs 32.93 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2013
Chennai Express - Rs 33.12 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2014
Kick - Rs 26.40 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2015
Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Rs 27.25 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2016
Sultan - Rs 36.54 crore (Box Office Status - Blockbuster)
2017
Tubelight - Rs 21.15 crore (Box Office Status - Average)
2018
Race 3 - Rs 28.50 crore (Box Office Status - Average)
2019
Bharat - Rs 42.30 crore (Box Office Status - Semi-Hit)
2020
No Releases Owing to COVID-19
2021
Radhe - OTT Release (With Very Limited Theatrical Release)
2022
Runway 34 - Rs 3 crore (Box Office Status - Flop)
Heropanti 2 - Rs 6.50 crore (Box Office Status - Flop)
2023
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan - Rs 15.81 crore (Box Office Status - Average)
2024
Maidaan - Rs 7.25 crore (inclusive of Rs 2.25 crore preview earnings)
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan - Rs 16.07 crore
As you can see from the above, Eid has always been Salman Khan's favourite hunting ground (err... no pun intended) when it comes to movie releases. It's Bhai who has delivered most of the blockbusters during the festive period. In fact, it was Salman himself who made Eid an enticing time to release films with the success of Dabangg in 2010. Interestingly while Bharat holds the record for the highest Eid opener with Rs 42.30 crore, the film's overall performance was average. The only other male star to deliver a blockbuster during this period was Shah Rukh Khan in 2013 with Chennai Express, the superstar's only Eid release in 15 years (apart from a cameo in Tubelight). Maidaan Movie Review: Ajay Devgn’s Sports Biopic is a Compelling Watch When Not Burdened by Weak Drama and Chak De Hangover.
However, it's interesting to note that Eid hasn't been a very lucrative period for Bollywood releases post-COVID-19. Even Salman Khan only managed to earn Rs 15.81 crore with KKBKKJ, his lowest since 2011.
The year 2022 marked the first time in 15 years without a single hit, as both Runway 34 and Heropanti 2 tanked. It was also the year when Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff tried their luck during Eid, which didn't bode well for their movies. In comparison, this year's releases of theirs, Maidaan and BMCM, fared better with their box office openings. However, judging by the lukewarm reception, it's hard to expect either film to achieve hit status. Maidaan has received better critical response, but its three-hour runtime, exacerbated by a rather cumbersome first half, poses challenges. On the other hand, BMCM, made on a larger budget, has garnered almost negative reviews, and the public response isn't much better. This is also the lowest Eid opener for director Ali Abbas Zafar, after Bharat and Sultan, the latter being a record-breaking blockbuster.
So, expecting either movie to become this year's highest-grosser is too far-fetched. Will Salman Khan return Eid blockbuster glory with his AR Murugadoss film, Sikandar, arriving on Eid 2025? Let's wait and watch!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 12, 2024 09:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).