Was K3G an underperformer at the box office? - Page 2

Originally posted by: AwaamKiJaan

K3G was three and half hours long and was released at a time when audience was used to watching 3 hour long movies.

It's runtime is really long compared to today's movies running time, but it was only a bit more longer than movies which released in 2001. Gadar itself had runtime of 3 hours and 11 minutes.

K3G also had the potential to be an ATBB. Maybe not bigger than HAHK and DDLJ but KKHH atleast.

Wrong.

Gadar runtime: 170 minutes

K3G runtime: 210 minutes

That's a whole 40 minutes difference. It makes a huge difference. That's an extra show per day's worth.

I think K3G was so long and epic that it wasn't really a repeat watch vibe for most people.

And also back in December 2001 films were averaging much less than 3 hours long, 3 hours plus was not the norm.

Originally posted by: Rekha_ji

Wrong.

Gadar runtime: 170 minutes

K3G runtime: 210 minutes

That's a whole 40 minutes difference. It makes a huge difference. That's an extra show per day's worth.

I think K3G was so long and epic that it wasn't really a repeat watch vibe for most people.

And also back in December 2001 films were averaging much less than 3 hours long, 3 hours plus was not the norm.

Yeah sorry I messed it up.

Google showed Gadar's runtime 190 minutes, but Wikipedia and IMDb is showing its 170 minutes so you're right.

Didn't remember it's actual runtime because I haven't watched the movie in a long time.

Originally posted by: AwaamKiJaan

Yeah sorry I messed it up.

Google showed Gadar's runtime 190 minutes, but Wikipedia and IMDb is showing its 170 minutes so you're right.

Didn't remember it's actual runtime because I haven't watched the movie in a long time.

Google can make us all look silly from time to time (I would know) 😉

I just have a thing for stats and trivia, and I like to verify from more than one source, appreciate your response.

And to answer your initial question: I do think that K3G somewhat "underperformed". It was expected to do "better" at the time. I can't put my finger on the strongest reasons for this. But I do know that I missed it at the cinema, which was a huge upset. I wonder if there were issues regarding the distribution/rights. Because I can faintly remember that it didn't run for a very long time (although I am talking from a United Kingdom perspective, and I am also unsure of this being the case). And it was delayed by a few weeks here and there, did that have an effect?

EDIT: ignore most of this, as it was a HUGE hit in the UK at the time, lolz.

Having thought about it more, I think it could be due to the mediocre reviews. I remember it being TRASHED on the radio here by presenters, I think it was BBC Asian Network. 2001 had well received films like Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, I think K3G at the time was seen as a bit passé.

But today, it is as iconic as any other MEGA film in history, akin to Sholay or HAHK in terms of reference and recall value. It won the long race.

Originally posted by: Rekha_ji

Google can make us all look silly from time to time (I would know) 😉

I just have a thing for stats and trivia, and I like to verify from more than one source, appreciate your response.

And to answer your initial question: I do think that K3G somewhat "underperformed". It was expected to do "better" at the time. I can't put my finger on the strongest reasons for this. But I do know that I missed it at the cinema, which was a huge upset. I wonder if there were issues regarding the distribution/rights. Because I can faintly remember that it didn't run for a very long time (although I am talking from a United Kingdom perspective, and I am also unsure of this being the case). And it was delayed by a few weeks here and there, did that have an effect?

EDIT: ignore most of this, as it was a HUGE hit in the UK at the time, lolz.

Having thought about it more, I think it could be due to the mediocre reviews. I remember it being TRASHED on the radio here by presenters, I think it was BBC Asian Network. 2001 had well received films like Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, I think K3G at the time was seen as a bit passé.

But today, it is as iconic as any other MEGA film in history, akin to Sholay or HAHK in terms of reference and recall value. It won the long race.

K3G was a big Hit in overseas, so I won't say it underperformed there.

Lagaan, DCH got critical acclaim but at the box office, they were nowhere loved by the masses like K3G.

I now think it was just the 2002 effect, which effected 2001 release K3G as well.

I was really looking for this article...finally found it! BOI posted this on the 10 years anniversary of the film. The original link is now gone, but I found it posted by a forum member from 2011.

Ten Years On: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Friday 16th December 2011 11.30 ISTBoxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

There may not be a big blockbuster release this Friday but Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was released on this Friday exactly ten years ago and it smashed all opening records across the world. In UK it actually featured amongst the top three openers of the week including all Hollywood releases.

Despite scepticism in the trade as to whether it will work outside big centres, the film opened to around 6 crore nett collections on its first weekend (a collection which only 5-6 films till then had managed in the whole week) in India with the week finishing around 13 crore nett.

The domestic opening week collections were 70% higher than the previous record and never before had opening records been smashed by such big margins, infact even till now opening records have never been smashed by such huge margins. In Delhi city its opening week collections were touching 2 crore nett while the previous record was just 1.05 crore nett and it was five years later that any film got close to 2 crore nett in Delhi city again.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham also set record new records for second and third week business by grossing 10.50 crore nett and 8 crore nett respectively. It went on to be amongst the top five domestic grossers of all time and the second biggest grosser in its year of release 2001.

In the Overseas it was a phenomena and is still probably the biggest hit ever in the Overseas market even though films today are crossing $20 million while Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham did around $8 million in 2001. The big difference is print count, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham release on around 125 prints while today films are releasing on 5-6 times more prints and in many more territories. Infact this year, the two big Overseas grossers, Ra.One and Bodyguard have done just 5-10% more business in Overseas than Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham with much bigger releases. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is one of the true Worldwide blockbusters of Hindi cinema.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/bollywood/2417523/ten-years-on-kabhi-khushi-kabhie-gham

It was really popular at that time, in fact one of the most liked movies of 2001. I've heard it is the highest grossing movie of that year.

Most people would kill for an “underperformer” like K3G.

Originally posted by: Daechwita

Most people would kill for an “underperformer” like K3G.

No they won't. Because K3G wasn't a box office phenomena. It was special because of it's ensemble star cast and that's it.