Kesari: Will Akshay Kumar's Film Surpass Gully Boy and Total Dhamaal's Opening Weekend Collection?

Akshay Kumar's period war film Kesari, based on the true events of the Battle of Saragarhi had hit the screens on the eve of Holi is banking the festive season and the extended to the fullest. Raking in close to 40 crores, the film is aiming to reach the number one spot at box office opening weekend.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh predicts that over the weekend, the film will surpass Ranveer Singh's Gully Boy and multi starrer Total Dhamaal. He tweeted, "#Kesari aims at No. 1 spot as far as *opening weekend* is concerned... Trending better than #GullyBoy and #TotalDhamaal... Will surpass *extended weekend* [Thu-Sun] of #GullyBoy [₹ 72.45 cr] as well as *traditional weekend* [Fri-Sun] of #TotalDhamaal [₹ 62.40 cr]." (sic)

He also predicts that day three and four will be strong for the film at the box office. "#Kesari is solid on Day 2... Decline on a working day - after a holiday - is common, but the decline is less this time... Will score big numbers on Day 3 and 4... Is chasing a huge total in its *extended weekend*... Thu 21.06 cr, Fri 16.70 cr. Total: ₹ 37.76 cr. India biz," he wrote in another tweet.

Talking about the film, Anurag Singh's directorial follows the real-life story of 21 braveheart Sikh soldiers, who fought on the side of Britishers, stood their ground against an army of 21,000 strong Afghan invaders to protect the fort of Saragarhi, a pivotal post between Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart.

Film critic Rajeev Masand wrote about Kesari, "What works is the bond between the men, especially Singh’s empathy for the youngest soldier, a 19-year-old who freezes when he faces armed conflict for the first time. There is an overall sincerity in the enterprise and some genuine skill on display. The camerawork is particularly impressive."

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