Sardaar Ji 3 Box Office: Big overseas opening, Breaks record in Pakistan BUT...
Sardaar Ji 3 delivered a stellar opening overseas, raking in USD 2.10 million (Rs. 18 crore) approx during its three-day weekend. The threequel, starring Diljit Dosanjh, scored the second biggest international debut ever for a Punjabi film, trailing only behind his own Jatt & Juliet 3.
The film features a Pakistani actress, Hania Aamir, due to which it had to let go of release in India. While this casting choice has sparked backlash within India, it has amplified the film's appeal in Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora abroad. The film grossed PKR 12.75 crore (USD 450K) in Pakistan from just 45 locations, setting a new record for the 3-day gross by an Indian film in the country, surpassing Sultan (PKR 11.10 crore).
Performance in the two largest markets for Punjabi films, Canada and Australia, was a bit underwhelming, with weekend numbers landing around half of Jatt and Juliet 3. This shortfall can be attributed to a mix of factors. Muted pre-release marketing for one, likely a strategic move to avoid drawing attention to the casting. The other one being showcasing constraints, especially in Australia, where most prime locations ran at or near capacity. This will lead to spillover business on weekdays, as reflected by strong advances for Monday.
Elsewhere, the United States and the United Kingdom were close to Jatt and Juliet 3, while in the Middle East, the film almost matched the lifetime numbers of Jatt and Juliet. When the actuals come, it could probably be over. Here, it's the Pakistani diaspora which is the major audience for Punjabi films.
The territorial breakdown for Sardaar Ji 3 overseas box office is as follows:
With these opening numbers, a USD 5 million plus lifetime looks assured, depending on how it legs in Pakistan, it could go much higher. Jatt and Juliet 3 is the highest-grossing Punjabi film overseas with USD 7.35 million, which will be tough to beat, but not ruled out yet.
Despite missing the domestic release, overseas will probably see it through, but the loss of the domestic market, not just theatrical but potentially non-theatrical, is a big blow. It's not just a setback for the film but for the Punjabi film industry as a whole, which has been struggling on the domestic front. Sardaar Ji 3 was seen as a potential shot in the arm for the industry… alas.
It doesn't stop here. The other big release of this year was Chal Mera Putt 4, which also features an ensemble of Pakistani artists. It doesn't seem like that film will release this year, at least not in India. Chal Mera Putt was the film which pioneered collaboration between East and West Punjab, a move that vastly expanded the overseas appeal of Punjabi cinema.
In the years since, nearly every major Punjabi release has featured West Punjabi talent. Even during politically tense periods, Punjabi films had continued to find release in Pakistan. Until now, cross-border collaboration was an asset. But if working with Pakistani artists now means sacrificing the Indian market, the industry finds itself at a critical crossroads in making a decision.
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