Bollywood Diwali Releases from 2006 to 2016!

Article by Vignesh (tweets @viggu_8391)

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India, it’s also the season when the working class get their ‘yearly bonus’ and the footfalls at cinema falls also tend to show a significant increase. Not too long ago, it was the biggest festival of the year, reserved for the biggest of films. That tag now belongs to Christmas, followed by Eid, but Diwali still sees big-budget films featuring the biggest stars in the industry.

In 2006, there were 2 big releases during Diwali. Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Jaan-e-mann’ released alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Don – The Chase Begins’, a remake of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer. The former started off well, but the box office supremacy of SRK and his charismatic portrayal as the ‘Don’ won the clash with Don collecting 2 times more than ‘Jaan-e-Mann’.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Collection Worldwide	Verdict
Don	20 Oct 2006	21 Oct 2006	Action-Drama	105 cr	Hit
Jaan-e-Mann	20 Oct 2006	21 Oct 2006	Rom-Drama	45 cr	Flop

2007 was one of the best years for the industry. Akshay Kumar was at the top of his game, with all his 4 films emerging victorious. The Diwali period saw Shah Rukh’s Om Shanti Om which marked the acting debut of Deepika Padukone, taking on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’, which introduced us to Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Needless to say, Shah Rukh’s star power was enough to decimate ‘Saawariya’. ‘Om Shanti Om’ broke all box office records and emerged as the top grosser of the year.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Collection Worldwide	Verdict
Om Shanti Om	9 Nov 2007	9 Nov 2007	Drama	151 cr	Blockbuster
Saawariya	9 Nov 2007	9 Nov 2007	Rom-Drama	39 cr	Flop

2008 again had two films clashing during the Diwali Day and for the first time in a very long time, both films did well at the box office. Acclaimed Director Madhur Bhandarkar released his film ’Fashion’ starring Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut. The film won huge appreciation and won National Awards. Golmaal Returns is the least successful Golmaal film, but it did well enough to earn ‘hit’ status at the box office.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Collection Worldwide	Verdict
Fashion	29 Oct 2008	28 Oct 2008	Drama	43 cr	Semi Hit
Golmaal Returns	29 Oct 2008	28 Oct 2008	Comedy	83 cr	Hit

2009 saw as many as 3 films releasing on the same day. All The Best, Blue and Main Aur Mrs Khanna clashed during this period. Blue, riding on Akshay’s star power, started off really well, scoring one of the biggest weekends, but crashed due to poor word-of-mouth. All The Best, which was gaining momentum eventually won the race due to lower costs. Main Aur Mrs Khanna was massive disaster.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
All The Best	16 Oct 2009	17 Oct 2009	Comedy	67 cr	Average
Blue	16 Oct 2009	17 Oct 2009	Action	66 cr	Flop
Main Aur Mrs Khanna	16 Oct 2009	17 Oct 2009	Rom-Drama	15 cr	Disaster

2010 witnessed yet another big clash. Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn locked horns at the box office. The clash was between 2 comedy films, one directed by Rohit Shetty, whose popularity was increasing and the other directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Golmaal 3 scored over its opposition right from the first day of its release and went on to become only the 4th film to cross the 100 crore mark.

Films	Release Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Action Replay	5 Nov 2010	5 Nov 2010	Comedy-Drama	47 cr	Flop
Golmaal 3	5 Nov 2010	5 Nov 2010	Comedy	173 cr	Blockbuster

In 2011, Shah Rukh Khan was back to his Diwali releases after a gap of 4 years. It was the hugely-hyped Ra One, one of the costliest films of all time. While Shah Rukh was applauded for bringing in technology and making Ra One a technically good film, the film was rejected by the audience after a record Diwali day.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Ra.One	26 Oct 2011	26 Oct 2011	Action, Sci-Fi	221	Hit

The 2012 Diwali weekend was filled with controversies. This year saw Yash Chopra’s last directorial venture ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ featuring his favourite Shah Rukh Khan, releasing on the same day as Ajay Devgn’s home production ‘Son Of Sardaar’. Ajay was criticised for announcing his film after the announcement of ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ and sticking to his date even after Yash Chopra passed away. The entire period leading up to the release was ugly, with Ajay slapping a case against Yash Raj Films. It’s difficult to pick a clear winner from the clash, but Son Of Sardaar exceeded expectations, while Jab Tak Hai Jaan fell well short.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Jab Tak Hai Jaan	13 Nov 2012	13 Nov 2012	Rom-Drama	235	Hit
Son of Sardaar	13 Nov 2012	13 Nov 2012	Comedy	163	Hit

In 2013, Krrish 3, the 3rd part of one of the biggest franchises of Bollywood released in theatres. The film marked Hrithik’s return to the silver screen as a superhero, a character only he has been successful at playing. The film broke some of the previous records and set new benchmarks for the films to come. However, the film was marred with controversies regarding the official collections. Trade accused the Roshan’s for inflating the collections. The film was a blockbuster nonetheless.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Krrish3	1 Nov 2013	3 Nov 2013	Sci Fi	384	Blockbuster

2014 saw Shah Rukh’s 5th Diwali release in 9 years. It also marked the reunion of his ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Main Hoon Naa’ director Farah Khan. The film had an ensemble cast with current heartthrob Deepika Padukone. It released on the biggest day for film business in the year and broke opening records.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Happy New Year	24 Oct 2014	22 Oct 2014	Comedy	385	Super Hit

2015 – After quite a long time we saw Salman Khan getting a Diwali release. The last time he had a Diwali release, his career was at an all-time low. But fast forward to 2015 and Salman was head-and-shoulders above everyone else in the industry. This Diwali was special because Salman was returning with Sooraj Barjatya after a gap of 16 years. It also brought back the’ Family Drama’ genre, which was missing from Bollywood. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo did well, but couldn’t match the success of his previous film ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

Films	Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
PRDP	12 Nov 2015	11 Nov 2015	Family-Drama	395	Super Hit

2016 – This year, we have what has been the ugliest clash of all time. Controversies, political angle, personal attacks.. the last coupe of months has seen it all. But nothing would matter on the Friday of release as Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil takes on Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay.

Films	Release Date	Diwali Day	Genre	Worldwide	Verdict
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil	28 Oct 2016	31 Oct 2016	Rom-Drama	TBU	TBU
Shivaay	28 Oct 2016	31 Oct 2016	Action-Drama	TBU	TBU

We hope both films this year are liked by the audience and both emerge victorious at the box office. A year like 2012 would truly be a ‘Happy Diwali’ for the industry.

Which are your favourite Diwali films? Vote and tell us what you think in the comments section below: