EK THA TIGER biggest hit since 3 Idiots

SALMAN Khan continues to bring in the big bucks for Bollywood. Ek Tha Tiger, the actor’s latest film, has netted over 2 billion rupees in global ticket sales, making it India’s biggest box-office hit after 3 Idiots. The film, starring the 46-year-old action hero as a secret agent, opened to mixed reviews on August 15 but Khan’s mass appeal has ensured audiences flocked to cinemas. The formula of releasing films around Eid al-Fitr also seems to be helping— Dabangg and Bodyguard were blockbusters, as was Khan’s 2009 film Wanted. Ek Tha Tiger reached the billion- rupee milestone in just five days, although ticket sales did appear to taper off after the Eid holiday. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh called the film an “all time blockbuster” on Monday, posting on Twitter that the combined domestic and international business of the film stood at 210 crore rupees (2.1 billion rupees). Domestic receipts for Ek Tha Tiger have already crossed 1.7 billion rupees, making it Khan’s biggest career hit. His previous best Bodyguard, hauled in 1.48 billion rupees in domestic ticket sales while box-office leader 3 Idiots had grossed over 2 billion rupees in India. Trade analyst Vajir Singh said second week collections for Ek Tha Tiger stood at 194 million rupees, slightly lower than the 234 million rupees Khan’s 2010 hit Dabangg had pulled in during its second weekend. Single-screen cinemas, which account for most of the tickets sold in India, also saw a drop in audiences, although the week’s new release Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi wasn’t expected to affect ticket sales for Ek Tha Tiger. “Yes, the second week is always slow compared to the first, but this film is still doing well,” said RR Vidhani, who owns one of Mumbai’s oldest singlescreen cinemas. “The crowd loves Salman Khan.” The second week is always slow compared to the first, but this film is still doing well. The crowd loves Salman Khan”