Salman Khan's top Eid releases: From 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' to 'Sultan'

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been at the center of attention for a while now. First and foremost, the superstar is gearing up for his highly anticipated Eid release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, out on April 21 in the UAE. He is also set to headline this year’s International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), slated to take place in Abu Dhabi in May.

That’s not all; Salman as usual is all over social media, thanks to several fandoms that keep him on top of the trend charts with photos, videos, and quotes. His latest quip during a Bollywood awards press conference that his family used trophies as “door stoppers” when hinges broke, set tongues wagging.

And when he’s not giving explosive interviews, Salman is receiving death threats. The actor, who resides in Bandra, Mumbai, has been given Y plus security due to the recent threat and also recently purchased a bulletproof car.

Amidst all this, the actor is busy promoting his upcoming film Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KKBKKJ). Touted as the usual Salman Khan drama with lots of action, the film directed by Farhad Samji, stars Pooja Hegde opposite Bhaijaan. Venkatesh, Bhumika Chawla, Shehnaaz Gill, Raghav Juyal, Jassie Gill, Siddharth Nigam, Palak Tiwari, and Vijender Singh are also part of the film.

Salman has a history of releasing films on Eid, a trend that skyrocketed his earnings after Wanted in 2009. Since then, the actor has released 10 films on Eid and most of the films were declared blockbuster hits at the cinemas, only due to Salman’s unmatchable fan-following.

On that note, let us take a look at five of his Eid releases that fared well at the box office. (Figures courtesy boxofficeindia.com)

1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Salman’s all-time blockbuster hit was directed by Kabir Khan in 2015. Bajrangi Bhaijaan, also starring Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, collected over Rs6 billion worldwide. The story follows an ordinary man who travels across India to ensure a little speech impaired girl reaches her home in Pakistan safely. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is undoubtedly Salman’s best work; the film is very Salman-like, there’s action, but it is also not very Salman-like in the sense that he plays a very simple yet charming character who goes on to become a hero, unlike his usual films in which he is already established as an overpowering hearty character.

2. Sultan (2016)

Salman was at his peak when Ali Abbas Zafar’s Sultan released in 2016. Salman’s second-highest film with Rs5.77 billions in collections, Sultan, stars Anushka Sharma and Randeep Hooda. The sports drama follows the story of a middle-aged wrestler who sets out to revive his career, years after giving up the sport, in a bid to regain his lost respect. Here, Salman is once again a simple yet charming man, who makes sure he proves his worth as a protagonist.

3. Kick (2014)

Sajid Nadiadwala’s 2014 action flick Kick stars Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui alongside Salman. The plot revolves around Devi (Salman) who is persistent on pursuing his daredevil ambitions and finds himself chased by a police officer (Randeep). the movie collected Rs3.51 billions worldwide. In Kick, it is Salman’s goofiness that gets to us. A goofy Robin Hood, who manages to shame the highly competent officer of the law and at the same time put an end to a deadly villain’s heinous acts, like only Salman can.

4. Bharat (2019)

In Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat, Salman Khan’s titular character tries to keep a promise he made to his father when the family was torn apart during the India-Pakistan partition. The film, which also stars Katrina Kaif, garnered Rs3.08 billions worldwide. Bharat once again sees Salman in his usual guise as a selfless provider, but the character’s tedious nature only resonated with his die-hard fans.

5. Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

This 2012 action flick by Kabir Khan sees Salman take on the role of RAW Agent Tiger, tasked with keeping an eye on an Indian scientist abroad, who is suspected of sharing nuclear secrets with a terrorist organisation. The film also stars Katrina Kaif and made Rs3.08 billions worldwide. In Ek Tha Tiger, Salman is a full-fledged action hero. Imagine Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, but only bigger in size and that it occurred over a decade ago.

Fast forward to 2023, Tiger is now a part of the grand YRF spy universe which also includes Hrithik Roshan from War and SRK from Pathaan. Meanwhile, Salman is also gearing up for the release of Tiger 3 later this year as well as a recently announced spinoff like Tiger vs Pathaan.

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