Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham in the leading roles, Pathaan was released in cinemas on January 25, 2023, and became an all time blockbuster. The action thriller grossed more than Rs 1000 crore worldwide and became the first Bollywood film to cross the Rs 500-crore mark at the domestic box office.
Pathaan director Siddharth Anand recalled how the film battled the Boycott Bollywood phase as he welcomed the New Year 2024. Taking to his X (previously known as Twitter) account in the wee hours of January 1, Anand wrote, "As the new year draws to a close, I take a moment and look back. The year 2023 that changed everything for me. It started with a lot of nervousness and anxiety. PATHAAN, my film was releasing amidst a sea of forces against it. Something very weird called Boycott Bollywood was the phrase of the season. Hindi films were written off by naysayers."
Sharing his feelings on the day of the film's release, he added, "And then the day came. 25th January. I remember waking up at 7am. After going to bed at 3:30am post the cast & crew screening. Woke up feeling numb. The 1st show had just started. Mamta & me decided to go to our friend Jayu’s place and wait for the public reviews. As we sat on his terrace the reviews started to pour in. Unanimously it was declared a BLOCKBUSTER. I couldn’t sit anymore. Decided to visit a theatre and see the reactions. Got to the theatre but for the first time didn’t see the entire film with the audience. I saw the first 30 mins and I could gauge the pulse of the audience. It was something else. And then the videos started pouring in. Of people dancing in theatres to Jhoome Jo Pathaan. History was created. Pathaan became an ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER IN 2023."
Anand hopes that the audience will pour in the same love for his next release Fighter as he concluded, "Something else also happened in 2023. Mamta & me started our film company MARFLIX with #FIGHTER. A film that is ambitious in more ways than one. It’s more than just a film for us. And we have given it all to this one. 2024 starts with the same feeling again of nervousness and anxiety. Here’s hoping that you guys give the same love to FIGHTER that you showered on PATHAAN. Happy new year guys! See at the movies!! On 25th January. #FighterOn25thJan."
The aerial actioner Fighter will see Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone sharing the screen space for the very first time. Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Akshay Oberoi, and Samvedna Suwalka will be seen in prominent roles in the film.
READ | This 2023 Bollywood hit continues to mint money in theatres even after OTT release; it's not Jawan, Gadar 2, Animal, Pathaan
