In just the Hindi version, 'Don 2' has netted over 71 crores which is a huge total by all means, especially if one considers the negativity that was surrounding Shahrukh Khan and as a result of which the opening Friday was definitely impacted. However as is always the case with good movies, critic reviews didn't harm 'Don 2', what with good word of mouth coming into play and allowing the film to stay very stable right through the weekdays as well. Though detractors just hoped that there may be a crash round the corner, none of that happened as the film marched towards a healthy total.
By end of first week even the staunchest of anti-SRK brigade had to give up and the talks started around 'how 'Don 2' should have done more than it eventually did'. Now such expectations are always subjective and if one looks at this film as a standalone product, it has pretty much managed the kind of business that it would have hoped for during the conceptualisation phase itself.
Not quite a quintessential Shahrukh Khan affair that would have got family audience in hordes to see him do all the 'naach gaana' and woo his heroines, 'Don 2' was always meant to be a multiplex centric film and it is credible that it has not just done quite well there but also ended up doing decent business at the single screens as well. With the second weekend getting fantastic collections of over 18 crores, the film has now already hit the 90 crore mark and should end up touching 100 crore in two weeks flat.
Since 'Players' is the only new major release till 'Agneepath' arrives on 26th January, both these action thrillers would make the best use of screen space made available for them in the multiplexes for weeks at stretch.