The last big release on the last day of the World

AYESHA SIDDIQUI

KARACHI: All eyes are set on Salman Khan’s Dabangg 2 release tomorrow, which is looking to break all previous records and set a new box office record.

After the massive success of Dabangg in 2010, producers decided to make a sequel and with the enormous success it is generating before its release, Salman Khan has already confirmed Dabangg 3 is in production.

Dabangg saw the introduction of Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of legendary Bollywood actor Shatrugun Sinha, and also set a new wave in the Bollywood industry with item song “Munni Badnam hui.”

Dabangg 2 has seen directorial shift from Abhinav Kashyap who directed to first film in the franchise to actor/producer Arbaaz Khan making his directorial debut. The highly-awaited Kareena Kapoor item number released a month ago to critical acclaim. Meanwhile Arbaaz’s wife Malika Aurora-Khan shared screen space with Sonakshi Sinha and Salman Khan in the song “Pandey Jee Seeti.”

Dabangg 2 moves away from the village setting into the big city with Chulbul Pandey now dealing with the city’s elite. Reprising her role as Rajjo is Sonakshi Sinha, Pandey’s wife who is a few months pregnant. Arbaaz Khan also reprises his role as Makhanchan Pandey Chulbul’s brother, and Bollywood veteran Vinod Khanna comes back as Prajapati Pandey.

Sonu Sood played antagonist “Chhedi Singh” in the first edition, however Prakash Raj will now feature in the role of the villain.

A staggering budget of an estimated Rs.50 Crore and approximately bagging a record number of three thousand screens for the release, has set new limits for Bollywood blockbuster. The Khan brothers are also hoping to make a Rs. 200 crore dent at the box office, smashing all previous records set by 2012 releases Jab tak Hai Jahan and Talaash.

Promotions, which are in full swing, will come to an end tomorrow to decide whether the movie will get bigger than its predecessor and make Salman Khan the most bankable star in Bollywood at the veteran age of 46.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012