Pathaan: Cinemas transform into dance clubs, Shah Rukh fans burst crackers, but the best video is from Kerala. Watch

From Bhagalpur to Jalgaon, Pathaan fever has gripped film fans across the nation. Videos of audiences dancing and cheering while watching the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer have flooded timelines.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | January 26, 2023 11:39 AM IST

3 min read

Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan opened to packed houses in theatres across the country.

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While several Hindi films managed to make money in the last year or so, none have been received as euphorically as Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which debuted in theatres on Wednesday after months, if not years, of anticipation. Videos of audiences dancing in theatres flooded Twitter timelines all day, as fans celebrated their favourite star’s grand return.

Pathaan is an action-thriller that marks SRK’s comeback to starring roles after over four years. He was last seen as a lead in 2018’s Zero, although he appeared in cameos in three 2022 releases — Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Laal Singh Chaddha and Brahmastra.

Also read | Pathaan box office collection day 1: Shah Rukh Khan revives Bollywood with blockbuster Rs 52 crore opening, likely to enter Rs 100 cr club on Republic Day

Several videos from screenings across the country show fans having a blast in the theatres, and dancing in front of the screen during the closing credits song “Jhoome Jo Pathaan.” Some videos also show fans cheering and hollering during Shah Rukh’s entry scene, and the grand reveal of Salman Khan’s Tiger. Audiences also seemed to be pleased that no significant changes were made to the controversial song “Besharam Rang,” which a certain section of the public said was offensive to their religious sentiments.

Here’s a thread of audience reaction videos from screenings of Pathaan:

Another video showed director Siddharth Anand being chased by the paparazzi at a screening for the film in Mumbai in the evening. While the filmmaker didn’t offer any comments about its performance during the day, he gave a thumbs up and thanked the photographers for praising the film and its success.

Pathaan is the biggest Hindi movie since Brahmastra, and is on track to deliver one of the best opening day hauls at the box office. Early estimates suggest an opening in the Rs 52 crore range, but the film needs to make just Rs 2 crore more to be the biggest Hindi language opener in history, ahead of KGF: Chapter 2. Also starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, Pathaan is a part of YRF’s recently unveiled shared universe of spy movies, which also includes Salman Khan’s Tiger films and the Hrithik Roshan-starrer War.

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