Ranbir Kapoor’s latest film ‘Animal’ has taken the box office by storm since releasing on Friday. The violent action thriller has smashed multiple records and is on track to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.

Massive Opening Weekend

‘Animal’ got off to a thunderous start at the box office, earning Rs 61 crore on its opening day in India. This marked Ranbir Kapoor’s biggest opener ever, surpassing even the first day collections of the year’s highest grossing film ‘Pathaan’.

The film continued its rampage through the weekend. After a bumper opening day, ‘Animal’ showed minimal decline on Saturday with collections of Rs 21.5 crore. By the end of Sunday, the total domestic box office haul stood at Rs 82.5 crore.

Internationally too, ‘Animal’ has made a big splash. The overseas earnings contributed around 40% to the worldwide total. After just 2 days, the global box office collections have zoomed past Rs 150 crore.

Emerges Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Highest Grossing Directorial

In just 3 days, ‘Animal’ has toppled Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Padmaavat’ to become the acclaimed director’s highest earning film ever. Bhansali is one of the producers of ‘Animal’ which has helped catapult him into a different league now.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh pointed out this new record – "#Animal is now #SanjayLeelaBhansali’s HIGHEST GROSSING film… Has crossed #Padmaavat in 3 days! #India biz."

Targets Blockbuster Lifetime Business

Despite getting mixed reviews, ‘Animal’ is proving to be critic-proof at the box office due to the immense buzz and curiosity it had generated. Being a big holiday release with reduced ticket pricing, it had the advantage of attracting large crowds over the weekend.

But the trend of such films is that they witness a significant drop from Monday onwards when ticket pricing returns to normal rates. However, early reports indicate ‘Animal’ has bucked the trend and shown only a tiny 10-15% decline in collections on Day 3.

As per trade estimates, the 3-day extended weekend numbers could be around Rs 105-110 crore in India and Rs 160+ crore globally. This sets up the revenge drama for a potential Rs 200 crore domestic run if it sustains well on weekdays. A worldwide lifetime total above Rs 300 crore seems well within reach too.

Ranbir Kapoor Back With A Bang

With the stupendous response to ‘Animal’, Ranbir Kapoor has made a smashing comeback following his last release ‘Shamshera’ which disappointed at the box office.

Ranbir has dug deep to deliver an intense performance that is being hailed as one of his career-best acts. The film allows him to showcase a gamut of emotions from innocence and romance to angst and vengeful rage. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga deserves credit too for extracting such a striking performance.

Producers Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar of T-series have scored big by banking on Ranbir’s combination with ace director Vanga. The huge profits from ‘Animal’ will help line up many more exciting projects for the trio.

Controversies Boost Buzz

‘Animal’ courted several controversies ever since its teaser and trailer were unveiled. The dark theme and explicit violent content resulted in some negative reactions. But this only ended up boosting the curiosity level and helped magnify the incredible pre-release hype.

In the film, Ranbir Kapoor plays a loose cannon who goes to extreme lengths when wronged. His morally ambiguous character divided opinions sharply but the debate around it kept ‘Animal’ in the news regularly. Clever and aggressive promotion by the makers in the face of controversies seems to have paid rich dividends.

Weekdays Crucial for Sustained Run

While the opening numbers have been sensational, ‘Animal’ needs to maintain the momentum in the weekdays to emerge an all-time blockbuster. Strong word of mouth and positive audience feedback will be vital for that.

Most screens are dedicated to ‘Animal’ currently and it is unlikely any new releases this week would pose serious competition. But in the second week starting December 9th, Ranbir’s film will clash with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ which is tracking for a massive opening across India.

If ‘Animal’ can withstand that clash while keeping its daily numbers steady, it will cruise towards possibly Rs 250 crore domestically and Rs 400+ crore globally. That would make it one of the biggest hits not just for Ranbir Kapoor but even director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and producers T-series & Bhansali. What remains to be seen is whether the film has enough firepower left to combat the mighty ‘Avatar’ wave that is coming.

Social Media Flooded With Praise

While critics were polarized in their opinion on ‘Animal’, the film has received widespread appreciation on social media from the fans. Viewers are lauding the performances, background score, cinematography apart from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s writing and direction.

Twitter and other platforms are filled with posts hailing ‘Animal’ as a courageous and spectacular piece of filmmaking. The hugely positive audience word of mouth should ensure the box office rampage continues in the crucial weekdays too.

Path Ahead for Animal

Mid-week Numbers Key

The early box office trends for ‘Animal’ point towards a historic blockbuster run. But the numbers it posts from Monday to Thursday will determine if the film indeed lives up to its astronomical potential.

With most schools and colleges open, there could be a sizeable drop in footfalls on weekdays. However, the target youth audience adores Ranbir Kapoor and the buzz for ‘Animal’ remains strong. If that converts to solid box office receipts even with reduced ticket rates, the film will be on the right path to all-time record books.

Clash Looms with Avatar 2

‘Animal’ will enjoy a free run this week till December 8 when ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ storms into Indian cinemas. Being a premium format heavy film with sky-high anticipation, the James Cameron epic sequel is tracking for record-shattering advance bookings.

It poses a monumental threat for all films running in theaters including ‘Animal’. There is a strong chance Ranbir Kapoor’s film will see shows reduced or truncated to accommodate the returning ‘Avatar’ franchise.

So ‘Animal’ has just under a week left to keep earning at rapid speed before it loses a chunk of screens, shows and footfalls to the Hollywood biggie invasion.

Can Animal Still Reach 200 cr in India?

Yes, 200 crore domestically is still very much achievable for ‘Animal’ but the road ahead is tricky. Using conservative estimates, the first week total would be around 140 crore nett.

In the second weekend, ‘Animal’ collections are sure to take a sizable hit with ‘Avatar 2’ mania sweeping India. But if it collects even 30-40 crore, that would take the 10 days total close to 175 cr.

With reduced competition in week 2, ‘Animal’ can continue playing in many screens and keep adding revenues. So inching past 200 crore nett seems doable provided it holds up well against ‘Avatar 2’.

Global Numbers on Record Pace

While the domestic numbers will grab more headlines for ‘Animal’, its worldwide totals will also be staggering. After just 2 days overseas, the foreign box office contribution was 45 crore.

If ‘Animal’ maintains its solid run internationally, it is well on course to 300+ crore globally. Markets like North America, Australia, UK and UAE have shown strong potential so far. With China release still lined up next, another 100 crore gross from there is likely.

So battering the 400 crore mark worldwide seems nearly guaranteed, especially if it stays steady in India despite Avatar wave. 300 crore nett domestically might be out of reach but is not completely ruled out if the craze continues.

So in summary, ‘Animal’ is off to an earth-shattering start rewriting record books already. Sustaining the epic pace and combating a gigantic Hollywood clash will determine exactly how high Ranbir’s film soars in coming days. But blockbuster status has been cemented regardless of where it ends up eventually. ‘Animal’ has marked its territory firmly at the box office and continues to assert its domination.

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