Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees' Vs. Hrithik Roshan's 'Kaabil': Surprising Results

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees' Vs. Hrithik Roshan's 'Kaabil': Surprising Results

Exhibitors and most pundits in India expected Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees to open bigger than Hrithik Roshan’s Kaabil in their Jan. 25 head-to-head clash -- but almost no one predicted the winning margin would be so wide.

In key overseas markets, including the U.S., the Gulf States, the U.K. and Australia, Khan's action thriller directed by Rahul Dholakia won the contest even more decisively. Raees launched on about 2,700 screens in India, almost doubling the opening day tally for Roshan’s love story/revenge drama directed by Sanjay Gupta, playing on 2,200 screens.

Kaabil narrowed the gap with a massive leap on the Republic Day holiday on Thursday and both titles are positioned to earn hefty sums over the first five days. However the difference in screens does not fully account for Raees' dominance.

Analyst Ramesh Bala cites three plausible reasons: Shah Rukh is a much bigger star in India and internationally, his movie is generating better word-of-mouth and is performing strongly across multiplexes and single screens, whereas Kaabil's business is concentrated in the cineplexes in the big cities.

Shah Rukh plays a ruthless bootlegger in prohibition-era Gujarat in the 1980s in the film co-produced by SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment and Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is Jaideep, an honest cop who vows to eliminate crime and Raees’ empire. Pakistani actress Mahira Khan plays the criminal kingpin's wife and Zeeshan Ayyub, Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chadda and Uday Tikekar round out the cast.

Produced by Hrithik's father Rakesh Roshan, Kaabil stars Hrithik and Yami Gautam as a blind couple, voice-over artist Rohan and talented pianist Supriya, who are deeply in love. Their world collapses after Supriya is raped, corrupt cops ignore the crime and Rohan is forced to take the law into his own hands. Brothers Ronit Roy and Rohit Roy, Narendra Jha, Girish Kulkarni and Suresh Menon head the supporting cast.

Raaes collected 20.42 crore ($3 million) on Wednesday and 26.30 crore ($3.95 million) on Thursday. The first day ranked as the fourth biggest of SRK's career, ahead of Fan and trailing Happy New Year's 44.97 crore ($6.7 million), Chennai Express' 33.1 crore ($4.9 million) and Dilwale's 21 crore ($3.1 million), which all had the benefit of holiday launches. On Friday it fetched 11.97 crore ($1.97 million) to advance to 59.83 crore ($8.9 million).

Kaabil minted 10.43 crore ($1.56 million) on Wednesday and jumped to 18.67 crore ($2.8 million) on Thursday. That was the fourth biggest opening day for Roshan behind Bang Bang's 27.54 crore ($4.1 million), Agneepath's 23 crore ($3.4 million) and Krrish 3's 19 crore ($2.8 million). Friday's takings of 9.77 crore ($1.46 million) brought the total to 38.87 crore ($5.8 million)

Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam in 'Kaabil' (Photo: Mind Blowing Films

In the U.S., Shah Rukh's thriller rang up $347,000 on 247 screens on Wednesday, easily beating its rival's $81,700 on 229 screens. Put that down to SRK's star power. The first day tallies were estimated at $500,000 and $150,000 respectively in the Gulf States and $158,000 and $41,000 in the U.K., and, over two days in Australia, $268,000 and $59,000, according to ComScore.

Reviewing Raees, The New York Times’ Rachel Saltz said Dholakia avoids flabby subplots and keeps the mood taut and suspenseful, even at two and a half hours, although it probably has one song too many.

There may be another explanation for Raees' ascendancy in India. In her review of Kaabil Koimoi.com's Surabhi Redkar predicted, "Hrithik fans will certainly enjoy it for his talented act but overall for thriller fans there are too many loopholes to catch."

Critic/analyst Komal Nahta was more optimistic, opining that Kaabil is entertaining fare, Hrithik delivers an extraordinary, award-winning performance and it will do well at the box office.

Of course there are many who admire both films, typified by Amitabh Bachchan who took to social media to congratulate SRK, proclaiming he "loved your anger," and to laud Sanjay Gupta's direction of a most convincing film with "endearing, superior performances."

King Khan responded to Bachchan, "When playing drunk, angry, powerful, comic or swaggy the inspiration is always you."