Chandu Champion Box Office: Kartik Aaryan-Starrer is Kabir Khan's Third-Lowest Opening Weekend Grosser; Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan Takes Top Spot!

Kabir Khan made his directorial debut in 2006 with Kabul Express. A road-trip dramedy that is set against the backdrop of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Kabul Express paved the way for the former documentarian to maintain ties with Yash Raj Films and later with Salman Khan. Now, 18 years later, Kabir Khan has grown beyond the banner and the mega-star with his new film Chandu Champion, starring Kartik Aaryan in the lead. While our review wasn't in awe of the film, there have been other opinions that have been major praise of both the movie and the lead actor, with many even calling Chandu Champion Kabir Khan's best film to date. Chandu Champion Movie Review: Kartik Aaryan is Strictly Satisfactory in Kabir Khan's Over-Long, Overtly Formulaic Biopic.

The biopic Chandu Champion, about Murlikant Petkar, India's first gold medallist in the Paralympics, took off to a decent start at the box office, earning Rs 24.11 crore in the first weekend. With a reported budget of Rs 120 crore (to recreate the film's period setting), there is still a long way to go before the movie becomes a hit at the box office.

Watch the Trailer of Chandu Champion:

With these opening weekend figures, Chandu Champion is Kartik Aaryan's seventh-highest first weekend earner. So what about its director, Kabir Khan? With blockbusters like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Ek Tha Tiger in his kitty, where do the opening weekend collections of Chandu Champion fit in? Chandu Champion Box Office: Kartik Aaryan Scores His Seventh-Highest Opening Weekend But Will That Be Enough?

Let's See...

Kabir Khan's Filmography

To date, Kabir Khan has directed eight theatrical releases. Not counting Chandu Champion, the director has three flops (Kabul Express, Phantom, 83), an average grosser (Tubelight), a hit (New York) and two blockbusters (Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan).

Check Out the Opening Weekend Collections Of Kabir Khan's Films (In Ascending Order):

Kabul Express -  Rs 4.87 crore

New York - Rs 17.42 crore

Chandu Champion - Rs 24.11 crore

Phantom - Rs 33.18 crore

83 - Rs 47 crore

Tubelight - Rs 64.77 crore

Ek Tha Tiger - Rs 100.16 crore

Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Rs 102.60 crore

As you can see, Chandu Champion has the third-lowest opening weekend collections in the director's filmography. In fact, the film's opening weekend earnings were the lowest for Kabir Khan since he entered top-tier filmmaking with Ek Tha Tiger in 2012. Although his last film - 83 - underperformed at the box office, it still had a better opening weekend than CC. Why, even the underrated Phantom - the forgotten film midst the director's much-talked-about hits - had a better first weekend. So can Chandu Champion overcome this statistical downgrade and come top for the director? Let's wait and watch!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2024 08:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).