Salman Khan’s ‘Race 3’ releases today, and it’s already profitable
Trade experts expect the domestic lifetime business of 'Race 3' to inch close to 275-300 crore, which pegs Salman Khan's share at 150 crore
New Delhi: Salman Khan’s Eid offering this year, action thriller Race 3, that releases on Friday, is already profitable.
Khan has turned distributor with the film and has sold the theatrical rights across the country. Going by the ₹ 339 crore business of his last film, Tiger Zinda Hai, which is the benchmark in this case, Race 3 has managed impressive distribution prices.
Trade experts expect the domestic lifetime business of the film to inch close to ₹ 275-300 crore, which pegs the share of the actor at ₹ 150 crore. Box office collections of any film are divided between producers, distributors and exhibitors.
Another ₹ 40 crore is expected from overseas territories where the film can make around ₹ 75 crore in box office collections.
“The Race franchise is already huge and Salman stepping in has made it even bigger. The buzz in the trade is extremely positive," said Atul Mohan, editor of trade magazine Complete Cinema.
While the previous Race instalments were both hits with earnings of ₹ 60 crore and ₹ 93 crore, respectively, Utpal Acharya, founder of film company Indian Film Studios, said the franchise has commanded an urban fan following. With Khan coming in, the franchise will have a wider mass base, he said.
Further, the Remo D’Souza-directed film made at a budget of ₹ 100-110 crore, has sold its satellite TV and digital media rights for ₹ 130 crore to Star India and Amazon Prime Video, respectively, according to film trade experts.
In July last year, Amazon Prime struck a deal with the actor that gave it exclusive rights to films made by Salman Khan Ventures, beginning with the Kabir Khan directed Tubelight, straight after theatrical release and two months before satellite, television broadcast or any other form of distribution.
While the exact value of the long-term deal remained unclear, trade experts say the agreed price is paid in instalments and Race 3 is likely to have been picked up for ₹ 80 crore. Star India, on the other hand, has acquired the satellite rights for ₹ 50 crore. Star India declined to comment on the story while Amazon did not confirm the size of the deal.
The film that stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Jacqueline Fernandez, besides Khan, is expected to release in 4,000-5,000 screens. Apart from BlackBerry and Paytm as brand partners, producers Khan and Tips Films have gone all out with promotions, including appearances on reality shows, and an aggressive digital marketing campaign.
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