Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ Surpasses ‘Pathaan’ to Become Top Indian Film of the Year

Shah Rukh Khan has beaten Shah Rukh Khan at the box office. The Bollywood stars Jawan has sped past his own Pathaan to occupy the box office top spot among the Indian films of 2023.

Jawan, featuring Khan in a dual role as a father and son who set out to rectify corruption in Indian society, opened on Sept. 7 andshattered the stars own Bollywood opening day record.It now has a total of $129 million, according to numbers released by producer Red Chillies Entertainment, besting Pathaan, which opened in January and concluded its run with $126 million.

In third place on the 2023 Indian box office chart, behind the two Khan vehicles, are Sunny Deols Gadar 2 with $83 million, Rajinikanths Jailer with $78.2 million and Karan Johars Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani with $42.8 million.

In the all-time Indian box office pantheon, Jawan and Pathaan now occupy fifth and sixth places respectively. Aamir Khans Dangal (2016) retains the top spot with $244 million (which includes more than $190 million from China), followed by S.S. Rajamoulis Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017, $219 million) and RRR (2022, $159 million) and Prashant Neels K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022, $151 million).

Neels Salaar, headlined by Baahubali star Prabhas, will be pitted against Khans next picture Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, during the Christmas holiday frame, with both films currently due to release on Dec. 22. Salaar belongs to the action genre, while Dunki is a comedy-drama.

Hirani has been a consistent hitmaker with his blockbuster films that include the Munna Bhai franchise with Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, Sanju with Ranbir Kapoor, and PK and 3 Idiots, both starring Aamir Khan. PK and Sanju sit at ninth and 15th positions respectively in Indias all-time box office chart.

Meanwhile, the Bollywood audience is displaying an appetite for comedy with Excel Entertainments franchise film Fukrey 3 scoring a respectable $6.6 million opening over the weekend, with the promise of a bumper Monday, which is a holiday in India on the occasion of Gandhis birthday.