Krrish 3 gets a terrific start, but pre-diwali release plays a bit of a spoilsport

Superhero sci-fi drama Krrish 3 opened to a great response from the critics. Business-wise too, it had a fantastic start as expected.

Deepak Sharma, COO of PVR Pictures, said that the film has got "a great opening and it's going to be a blockbuster".

"The advance booking is as good as it was for 'Chennai Express' and opened like that all across India. Once holiday starts it will do amazing business. It can be in the league of Rs.200 crore. Going by morning show, it's looking good," said Sharma.

Reportedly made on a budget of about Rs.100-Rs.150 crore, "Krrish 3" hit approximately 3,500 screens Friday.

However, the pre-diwali period may play a bit of a spoilsport over here. Trade analysts mention that though a pre-diwali release may not hurt when you are looking for mid-range numbers, big numbers are very tough as a chunk of the audience stays away from the theatres during this period.

Though the morning shows started on a great note, business slowed during noon. Apparently, this is normal for a non holiday for film.

However, trade analyst Taran Adarsh is confident that Krrish 3 will oversome this setback. "The pre-Diwali period is always considered dull by the industry. But a film like 'Krrish 3' can change the mindset," Taran tweeted.

Another trade pundit Komal Nahta posted similar opinion on the microblogging site.

Krrish 3 opening in Bihar circuit crazy. Most cinemas report, all shows full in advance. Such madness rarely seen. And this is pre-Diwali!," posted Nahta.

Krrish 3 has hit about 700 screens down south and trade analyst Trinath said "Krrish" did good business in Tamil Nadu when it released in 2006.

There was limited release in Tamil Nadu, but the movie’s performance is positive.

“We could manage to get nearly 60-65 screens in Tamil Nadu because most of theatres are playing Ajith Kumar’s ‘Arrambam’. Hrithik has a good market here, but unfortunately we couldn’t get more screens. But the overall response to the film has been positive since morning,” a spokesperson of Thameens Films said.