Chennai 'Record' Express derails Ek Tha Tiger

SRK has become the first man to hit the fastest century in Bollywood. His current score card reads something like this -Thursday – 6.75 cr (Paid Preview), Friday – 33.12 cr, Sat – 28. 05 cr and Sun – 32.50 cr. That’s a whopping Rs 100-crore collected in a record 4 days flat. Yes, that’s mind-boggling figure Chennai Express has netted in at the box-office and mind you the actual week is yet to begin. We quite like what director Ken Ghosh tweeted, “So basically #ChennaiExpress is the Chris Gayle of films.” An apt description, we say. With a record breaking opening of Rs.33.12 cr at the box-office, Chennai Express rewrote history books on Day One itself marching smoothly ahead of Salman’s Ek Tha Tiger. And for all those who thought Salman’s new found super stardom was a threat to SRK’s status as the Badshah of Bollywood, then the figures of Chennai Express will lay to rest all such thoughts. This film has proved yet again why SRK is the Badshah of Bollywood and the undisputed numero uno when it comes to numbers and profits. And if the lines outside theaters are anything to go by, all hell could break loose this week and Chennai Express could well go ahead and beat the boxoffice record of 3 Idiots (it earned around 202 crores). Even the verbal-diarrhea afflicted Kamaal R Khan couldn’t help but praise the film. ‘I challenge the world that no film will be able to break records of #ChennaiExpress within next 2years. Keep watching’ This certainly doesn’t bode well for Ekta Kapoor’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara (OUATIMD) which is slated to be released on 15 August, yet another holiday. With Chennai Express running in full steam across all multiplexes and single screen theaters, OUATIMD could well be on its way to a predictable doom. Ranbir Kapoor would remember well how the collective might of SRK’s Om Shanti Om sunk his launch pad Saawariya even before it had taken off. Now with battle lines clearly drawn between SRK and Ekta, it remains to be seen if Akshay Kumar can make inroads into the ‘Khan’ territory. As for now, it’s family time for SRK with his son Aryan flying down from London for EID. This is what the Badshah tweeted last night: Now time for a cosy tv watch with babies, rumour has it, Breaking Bad is out! #ChennaiExpress refuel time, then onward to next station, Delhi. We say, now is the time for the infectiously energetic King Khan to lay back and take some much needed rest and let his fans do the rest.