Barbie vs. Oppenheimer, Dhanki vs. Salal: the biggest movie clashes of 2023
Updated December 17, 2023 11:49pm IST
From Sunny Deol’s victory in Gadar 2 to Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, we recap the major film showdowns of 2023, hits, misses and SRK’s Dhanki vs. Prabhas’ Salar We will cover the expected matchups such as:
From Sunny Deol’s victory in Gadar 2 to Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, we recap the major film showdowns of 2023, hits, misses and SRK’s Dhanki vs. Prabhas’ Salar We will cover the expected matchups such as:
There is no doubt that 2023 was a year full of entertainment competition. From Sunny Deol’s blockbuster comeback to Shah Rukh Khan’s back-to-back blockbusters to Ranbir Kapoor’s descent into the dark side of cinema, 2023 is sure to entertain us in every way. Ta. As this iconic year draws to a close, let’s take a look back at the clashes that made it so special.
1. Gadar 2 vs. OMG 2 – August 11th
Gadar 2, Sunny Deol’s comeback film and sequel to the 2001 blockbuster film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, is easily one of the most awaited films of 2023. It was also one of the most anticipated films of the decade. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Gadar was ready to break all records. OMG 2, on the other hand, was a much-needed social message film starring Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi. The conflict between these two films was clearly one-sided, with Gadar 2 earning him close to Rs 700 crore and only Rs 220 crore.
2. barbie vs. Oppenheimer – July 21st
They’re probably two of the best movies of the year, and it’s a historic moment in cinema that they’ll be released in theaters at the same time. The second half of July 2023 saw the debut of two great films that set film festivals on fire. Both films made unusually large sums at the box office, but Greta Gerwig’s Barbie fared a notch above her rival. Oppenheimer was able to make a huge splash at the box office, amassing a staggering collection of $950 million, while Barbie took the world by storm with collections of $144.2 billion.
3. Fukurei 3 Vaccine War – September 28th
‘Fukrey 3’, the third installment of the comedy series starring Pulkit Sharma, Varun Sharma, Richa Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi, has emerged as the clear winner in the box office battle. The film, full of madness and laughter, grossed Rs 5,498 crore in the first five days. On the other hand, Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘Vaccine War’ failed to impress the viewers and critics. The film, which is based on the story of Covaxin, India’s indigenous vaccine against the coronavirus, collected just Rs 7.25 billion in the first five days.
4. Animal vs Sam Bahadur – December 1st
The action drama starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandana, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol dominated the box office with record collections. The film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, has grossed over Rs 800 crore in the first 16 days of its release. Sam Bahadur, the biopic of India’s first marshal Sam Manekshaw starring Vicky Kaushal, Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh, struggled to attract audiences amid stiff competition from Animal. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film has collected Rs 930 million since its release but is yet to cross the Rs 100-crore mark.
5. Jawan vs Nuns 2 – September 7th and 8th
Shah Rukh Khan starrer action thriller ‘Jawan’ broke records in India and abroad and became the undisputed box office champion. The film earned 663 million rupees ($79.8 million) in India, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in the domestic market. It collected 1 billion rupees ($121.6 million) worldwide, becoming the third Bollywood title to achieve this feat.
The Nun 2, the horror sequel to The Conjuring, faced stiff competition from Jawan, but still managed to scare a decent number of people. The film grossed him $88.1 million worldwide on its opening weekend, and collected $55.5 million from 69 international markets. In India, the film earned 53 million rupees ($6.4 million) in four weeks, a respectable figure for a horror film.
6. Jailer vs Bhola Shankar – August 10th and 11th
Rajinikanth-starrer action thriller ‘Jailaa’ broke records in India and abroad and became the undisputed box office champion. The film earned Rs 670 million in India. Bhola Shankar, on the other hand, is a remake of the Tamil film Vedalam, starring Chiranjeevi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth. Bhola Shankar earned only Rs 490 crore throughout his lifetime collections.
7. Mission Raniganj: Great Bharat Rescue vs. Thank You for Coming – October 6th
Mission Raniganj, an action thriller starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra, is based on the true events of the rescue of 65 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in West Bengal in 1989. The comedy-drama ‘Thank You for Coming’ starring Bhumi Pednekar and Shehnaaz Gill, Dolly Singh and Kusha Kapila was a story about five best friends and their love lives. Both films did poorly at the box office and failed to draw audiences to theaters. ‘Mission Raniganj’ managed to earn Rs 450 crore at the box office, while ‘Thank You for Coming’ struggled to earn Rs 1000 crore at the box office.
8. Ganapas vs Yaariyan 2 – October 20th
Another flop of 2023, Ganaft and Yaariyan 2 both did unforgettable at the box office. The Tiger Shroff starrer may have led its competitors by earning Rs 13.38 billion, but Yaariyan 2 could only earn Rs 2.67 billion over its entire run.
9. Tejas vs 12th Fail – October 27th
Kangana Ranaut starrer ‘Tejas’ was a disappointing aviation action film that grossed just Rs 5.6 crore at the box office. 12th Fail, starring Vikrant Massey, which tells the touching story of two civil servants, became a surprise hit and in the first week he collected a box office collection of Rs 9.90 crore, after which he went on to collect Rs 6,400 crore. It recorded an astonishing box office revenue.
10. Danki vs Salar: Part 1 – Ceasefire – December 22nd
Perhaps the most anticipated movie showdown of 2023. Shah Rukh Khan’s Dhanki and Prabhas’ Salar will not only light up cinema halls but also establish the dominance of more prominent stars. While director Prabhas is yet to announce a blockbuster after Baahubali, SRK is currently riding on the success of two consecutive blockbusters, each of which has grossed over Rs 100 crore. Dhanki Is is helmed by Rajkumar Hirani and will feature special appearances by Taapsee Panu and Boman Irani, as well as Vicky Kaushal. Meanwhile, Salar will be helmed by Prashant Neel and will also feature Preethibraj Sukumarun, Shruti Haasan and Jagapathi Babu in important roles.
(Tag translation) Barbie
