Box office: Salman Khan’s Bharat is well on its way to Rs150 crore

It looks like Salman Khan is back with another Eid success after a lull on the festival in previous years in the form of Tubelight (2017) and Race 3 (2018). His latest, Bharat (2019), has collected an impressive Rs144.25 crore nett in its extended first weekend (starting Wednesday, 5 June), as per figures shared by BoxOfficeIndia.com.

Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Bharat opened with a phenomenal Rs41.75 crore nett on Eid (5 June), the highest opening of any Salman Khan-starrer and the second highest opening in Hindi cinema after Thugs Of Hindostan (2018).

Bharat saw a drop on Friday, when it collected Rs21.25 crore nett, but recovered smartly on the weekend. Also starring Katrina Kaif and Sunil Grover, the film made an impressive Rs26 crore yesterday (Sunday) despite the important India versus Australia match in the ongoing cricket World Cup.

According to trade sources, the film has been made on a budget of Rs150 crore. Going by the collection so far, Bharat will easily cross that number and then some. How the film sustains interest this week will determine what its final collection is likely to be.