'Antim' vs 'Satyameva Jayate 2': 4 reasons why Salman Khan-starrer opened better than John Abraham's movie

'Antim' raked in Rs 4.5 crore on day 1 while 'Satyameva Jayate 2' collected nearly Rs 3.60 crore on its opening day

Actor Salman Khan's latest film Antim, which hit the screens on November 26, has opened to a better response at the box office than Satyameva Jayate 2. The Mahesh Manjrekar-helmed gangster drama raked in Rs 4.5 crore on day 1 while John Abraham's action drama collected nearly Rs 3.60 crore on its opening day (November 25). So, what helped 'Bhai' score a win over the Satyameva Jayate sequel?

Salman's star power

Salman, who began his career in the late 80s, has emerged as a box office draw with 'massy' films such as Dabangg, Wanted and the Ek Tha Tiger. His mere association with Antim helped the film even though he isn't the proverbial 'hero' of the flick. John, who began his career in the 2000s, is not as big a draw as Salman. In fact, Satyameva Jayate--his highest opener-- collected less than Dabanng 3 even though the Prabhudeva-helmed biggie hit the screens amid the anti-CAA protests.

Mahesh Manjrekar's track record

Manjrekar managed to satisfy all sections of the audience with Vaastav, widely regarded as his best work. Films such as Astitva and Pitaah too received critical acclaim., helping him emerge as a force to be reckoned with

Milap Zaveri, on the other hand, began his career as director with the underwhelming Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai. He eventually bounced back with Satyameva Jayate and Marjaavaan, which clicked with the mass audience. His films never received critical acclaim, something that alienated the class audience.

The word of mouth

Antim, on the other hand, was praised for its realistic storyline and hard-hitting punchlines. In fact, many described it as a better experience for 'Bhai' fans than Radhe. The word of mouth was pretty healthy, something that helped it witness good growth in the evening.

John's film, on the other hand, received mixed reviews with most critics criticising the outdated storyline. Moreover, the dialogues such as 'baap ke tope' and 'body dekhni hai' catered to the single screen audience only. The word of mouth wasn't as good as expected, which affected its performance in the multiplexes.

The timing

Antim is Salman's first major theatrical release in nearly two years. He was last seen in Radhe but it premiered on OTT. The time gap between Antim and Dabangg 3, which released in cinemas in 2019, proved to be a blessing for the gangster drama. Meanwhile, Satyameva Jayateva 2 is John's second release of the year as he was previously seen in Mumbai Saga, which hit the screens this March.