The year 2023 has been a remarkable rollercoaster ride for the Bollywood box office. Shah Rukh Khan’s triumphant return with Pathaan and his subsequent domination with Jawan’s phenomenal box office numbers have been nothing short of spectacular. Sunny Deol also etched his name in box office history with the resounding success of Gadar 2. And now, in the upcoming month, Ranbir Kapoor is poised to set the box office ablaze with Animal.
Amidst this year’s box office triumphs, a subtle yet significant pattern has emerged – the power of the father-son bond. This often-overlooked relationship has played a pivotal role in the success of many of this year’s blockbusters, with the exception of a few. The films that have captivated audiences this year share a common thread – they have embraced the ‘Papa’ trend wholeheartedly. Gadar 2, a heartwarming father-son saga that follows Sunny Deol’s journey to Pakistan in search of his lost son, stands as a testament to this trend’s effectiveness.
The film, ranking as the second most profitable release of the year, generated a staggering 600% profit with a lifetime collection of 525.50 crores. Coincedentally, Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi’s OMG 2, a father-son story revolving around Tripathi’s struggle to protect his son from societal ostracism following a viral video, clashed with Gadar 2 at the box office. The film, despite facing stiff competition from Gadar 2’s immense popularity, managed to garner a respectable collection of 150 crores at the box office.
Further solidifying the ‘Papa’ trend’s dominance, Shah Rukh Khan’s action-packed Jawan took the nation by storm with its powerful father-son narrative. The film, featuring Khan in the dual roles of father and son, amassed a staggering 640.42 crores at the box office, cementing its position as one of the year’s biggest blockbusters.
The ‘Papa’ trend continued to resonate with audiences in Ranveer Singh and Dharmendra’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (RARKPK), where their on-screen father-son bond added a heartwarming layer to the film’s narrative. RARKPK successfully captured the hearts of moviegoers, amassing a box office collection of 153.30 crores.
