The last week of December saw three major stars in India pitted against each other at the box office. Salaar, starring Prabhas and Prithviraj, was up against Dunki, which was headlined by Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu. Dunki, directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, and Salaar Part 1, helmed by Prashanth Neel, were highly anticipated, creating quite the buzz upon their release.
This buzz, however, soon descended into a chaotic mudslinging between fans from the North and South regarding which film garnered greater success. What could have been the Indian equivalent of the Barbenheimer clash just ended up showing that, when it comes to ‘healthy’ competition, Indian fans are duds.
So far, Salaar has grossed Rs 575 crore worldwide, while Dunki closely follows with earnings of Rs 361 crore.
Waging a war
It all started off with reports suggesting that Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire would not be shown in major national chains like PVR INOX and Miraj Cinemas in the South. Salaar’s producers, Hombale Films, accused these chains of favouring Dunki. But on 21 December, the day Dunki premiered, PVR INOx issued a statement confirming that Salaar would be screened in all its theatres across India starting 22 December, refuting earlier media reports.
This led to a no-holds-barred war with YouTube videos, fan reactions, and a blow-by-blow box office comparisons, advanced booking numbers and even memes, all aimed at either dissing or praising the films, depending on one’s ‘loyalty’ and fandom.
LATEST :- #Salaar Vs #Dunki Review
Dunki, is nothing compared to #SalaarBlockbuster #ShahRukhKhan is having a success party for what? Making a complete flop 😂
Only #SalmanKhan's bday matters 🥳 pic.twitter.com/C4tqzv131J
— 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐙𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝🛡️ (@SalmanZSheild) December 24, 2023
DUNKI SCAMS KA BAAP
DINOSAUR CRUSHED DONKEY
Bahubali Ft. #Salaar vs #Dunki
Clash explained 😂👇#salaarBoxOfficeStorm pic.twitter.com/1pDm0sMiam— Senthil Kumar (@sambarkudu) December 27, 2023
LATEST :- #Salaar VS #Dunki Review
This is the comeback of Rebel Star #Prabhas . #DisasterDunki is flop Infront of #SalaarBlockbuster #prabhasdarling was not fighting with men in movie actually he was kicking #ShahRukhKhan's ass 😂 pic.twitter.com/k1nNj9MJfn
— 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐙𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝🛡️ (@SalmanZSheild) December 24, 2023
Big difference #Dunki vs #Salaar Evening Occupancy in Hindi , Super Sunday –#Dunki – 54%#Salaar – 37%
King of Clash#ShahRukhKhan𓀠
DUNKI WITH FAMILY pic.twitter.com/vhD4y1MLrZ
— Sandip Srkian Banerjee ( Fan account ) JAWAN (@SandipB28369874) December 31, 2023
While fans of Prabhas and Prithviraj accused Shah Rukh Khan of playing ‘dirty’ by spreading misinformation and manipulated numbers, SRK fans were having none of it. Especially in the North, fans were clapping back with claims that Salaar would not be able to sustain its box office performance and that Shah Rukh Khan would recreate his Pathaan and Jawan magic.
#Dunki (Day9) vs #Salaar (Day 8) Boxoffice Collection (Till 6PM)#Dunki – 5.56crs (Hindi) 🔥#Salaar – 6.4crs (5 Langs)
SALAAR is totally finished in India as well as on OS, the only collection that is coming is from Hindi belt and that is also 50-60 percent fake.
Dunki… pic.twitter.com/Ik8KFqTFLQ
— YOGESH (@iamyogesh22) December 29, 2023
The situation reached a boiling point, prompting Salaar director Prashanth Neel to comment on the escalating ‘war’. “You root for your heroes and the emotions get the better of you. It might be that way (war) for the fans but for us, we are not trying to compete with one another. We are both trying to survive together. I do not advocate being a part of something like that,” he said.
Also read: Don’t dismiss ‘Barbenheimer’ as a fleeting social media trend—it’s a genius marketing lesson
Calm down
Indian fans could take a leaf out of the Barbie-Oppenheimer clash in July 2023. The ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon turned out to be one of the smartest marketing strategies, boosting ticket sales and merchandise for both films.
Actors Cillian Murphy and Margot Robbie delivered impeccable performances and had good things to say about each other’s work. Even Indian fans embraced the Barbenheimer trend and dressed up to watch both the movies, making moviegoing a ‘cool’ activity.
But the ongoing ‘war’ has only led to attempts to pull down the opposing film, resulting in venomous reviews and comments. In 2015, Prabhas-starrer Baahubali and Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan were released on the same Friday. Both films achieved commercial success and received a motley of good reviews from audiences and critics alike. We seem to have forgotten how to behave since then.
Had fans united to support both films, Dunki and Salaar could have achieved even greater success, and established an Indian trend in its own right. Everyone needs to calm down and learn to co-exist peacefully. This is the real world, not the fictional world where their heroes play make-believe roles.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)