Padmaavat, Jai Ho, Airlift: Do all the Republic Day Bollywood releases work?

Celebrating 26th January with full pride and admiration for our fighters, the day is taken as an opportunity to exhibit one's feelings for our nation. While the day is celebrated mostly with family, it is also a time when Bollywood encashes on the day and reelasesbig budget films. 

Over the years, the film industry has given us some wonderful movies that depict battle drama quite aptly. Iconic films like 'Border', 'The Legend Of Bhagat Singh' and such have paved the way for patriotism in the entertainment industry.

But the question is, patriotic or not, do movies releasing in or around Republic Day always work at the box office?

As two big films- 'Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi' and 'Thackeray' get set for a release on 25th January, here is a look back at the fims that have had a Republic day release in previous years and how they faired at the box office. 

Film: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani 
Release date: 21 January, 2000

'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' is a Hindi comedy-drama.

The film was directed by Aziz Mirza, starring Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. 

Movie focuseds on the media war being fought in the TV newsrooms. PBDHH  attempted to highlight how media manipulates politics and public opinion in a post-reform society in which everything is a marketing opportunity, including a man's hanging.

Box-office verdict: Average

Film: Maa Tujhhe Salaam
Release date: 25 January, 2002

Maa Tujhhe Salaam starring Sunny Deol is a film that revolves around a patriotic theme. The film is about a valiant Indian army officer who successfully aborts terrorist infiltration with the help of a few local people in Kashmir.

Box-office verdict: Average

Film: Kucch To Hai
Release date: 24 January, 2003

The directors of the movie, Anurag Bose & Anil Kumar took the basic premise of the hit 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', and mixed it with some basic Bollywood conventions. 

'Kuch to Hai' film deals with a serial killer and why he is killing the group of former friends.

Box-office verdict: Average

Film: Dil Ka Rishta
Release date: 24 January, 2003

The film 'Dil Ka Rishta', directed by Naresh Malhotra, starring Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai begins when a multi-millionaire (Arjun Rampal) unintentionally kills the husband of the woman he loves while driving. After she is diagnosed with amnesia due to the tragedy, he feels guilty and wonders if he should confess.

Box-office verdict: Flop
 

Film: Aetbaar                           
Release date: 23 January, 2004

A Vikram Bhatt directorial, 'Aetbaar' did not carry the Bhatt stamp of over the top suspense or the non-stop glamour.

However, the film did have its share of pluses, aside from the obvious Amitabh Bachchan in the main role.

Box-office verdict: Flop

Film: Khakee
Release date: 23 January, 2004

Akshay Kumar himself has said on more than one occasion that he rates 'Khakee' as one of his best works.

Apart from being high on action, the Rajkumar Santoshi film also succeeded in touching the audience’s hearts. The film had quite a few other big names like Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgn.Khakee.

The movie was a big salute to the Indian police force.

Box-office verdict: Semi-hit

Film: Kisna: The Warrior Poet
Release date: 21 January, 2005

Set in the time of pre-independence, the film had Vivek Oberoi playing a revolutionary poet who falls in love with an British woman much to the discomfort of the society.

Box-office verdict: Flop

Film: Rang De Basanti
Release date: 26 January, 2006

In the film, both the 1930s’ British India and the India of today run parallel and intersect with each other at crucial points. As the film reaches its conclusion, the line between the present and the past blurs, as they become one in spirit and one in colour - that is basanti. 

The film adopted a unique format to tell the story of a freedom that we all have taken for granted.

Box-office verdict: Super hit

Film: Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love
Release date: 25 January, 2007

Six couples face problems in their lives when fate forces them to move away from each other. They must overcome these issues in order to make their love triumph.

Box-office verdict: Flop
 

Film: Raaz: The Mystery Continues
Release date: 23 January, 2009

'Raaz: The Mystery Continues', directed by Mohit Suri, is a horror movie where an artist (Emraan Hashmi) is surprised to meet a girl (Kangana Ranaut) who bears an eerie resemblance to the one in his sketches, only to lead the story through a mysterious plot.

Box-office verdict: Hit

Film: Dhobi Ghat
Release date: 21 January, 2011

Kiran Rao's deeply personal 'Dhobi Ghat' brings you four people from different walks of life, who find themselves connected to each other by fate.

'Dhobi Ghat' is pretty much an artistic cinema.

Box-office verdict: Semi-hit

Film: Agneepath
Release date: 26 January, 2012

'Agneepath' is an Indian action drama film produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar under the banner of Dharma Productions.

The movie is about a principle school teacher getting murdered by a goon. His son (Hrithik Roshan) grows up with a single goal- that of revenge.

Box-office verdict: Super hit
 

Film: Race 2
Release date: 25 January, 2013

The action thriller film directed by Abbas-Mustan is all about the race for love, money and power. The runners cut to the chase and break all rules of the game.

Box-office verdict: Hit 

Film: Jai Ho
Release date: 24 January, 2014

The story laced with light-hearted humour and massy music, was about a braveheart commoner standing up against injustice and spreading a life-changing mantra of the circle of goodness, giving and generosity.

Box-office verdict: Semi-hit

Film: Baby
Release date: 23 January, 2015

A film that plays to our patriotic sentiments and allows us to indulge in some action-packed, superpower fantasies.

Balancing characters, conspiracies and cities, director Neeraj Pandey admirably keeps 'Baby' rich, yet tight, researched, non-sentimental and steely-eyed.

Box-office verdict: Hit 
 

Film: Dolly Ki Doli
Release date: 23 January, 2015

The movie directed by Abhishek Dogra, introduces us to Dolly (Sonam Kapoor) who fakes marriages with rich lads, robs them of their wealth and never really gets them laid.

Box-office verdict: Average 

Film: Airlift
Release date:22 January 2016

The film is based on the real-life conflict and bloodshed that took place twenty five years back in Kuwait when invaded by Iraq.

'Airlift' has one of Akshay Kumar's best performances.

Box-office verdict: Hit

Film: Raees 
Release date: January 25,2017

The gangster drama 'Raees' starring Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, revolves around a Gujarat-based bootlegger (Shah Rukh Khan), who finds the perfect foil in an earnest cop (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

Box-office verdict: Semi-hit

Film: Kaabil
Release date: January 25, 2017

'Kaabil' directed by Sanjay Gupta, features the love affair of two blind couple ( Hritik Roshan and Yami Gautam). 

'Kaabil' is a simple revenge saga, made unique by the disability of its protagonist.

Box- office verdict : Average

Film: Padmaavat
Release date: 25 January,2018

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’ is a delivery device for Rajput pride.

Pride beyond logic, pride in defeat, in suicide, in abetting suicide. 

Box-office verdict: Super Hit

Film: Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi 
Releasing date: 25 January,2019

'Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi ' starring Kangana Ranaut, is potraying the life of Rani Lakshmibai.

Box- office verdict : Yet to be announced

Film: Thackeray
Release date: 25 January, 2019.

'Thackeray', written and directed by Abhijit Panse, starring  Nawazuddin Siddiqui follows the life of Bal Thackeray, the founder of the Indian political party Shiv Sena.

Box- Office verdict: Yet to be announced