Padmaavat: Bhansali's film crosses 100 cr mark in opening weekend; sets new record in North America

After a long struggle, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat finally released in theatres on 25 January. Despite not getting distributors in several states, the film has managed to cross the 100-crore mark in its opening weekend, according to latest figures.

Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

On Sunday (28 January) the Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor starrer showed immense growth and minted Rs 31 crore. Its extended opening weekend numbers (domestic) stands at Rs 114 crore.

Internationally, the film is doing exceptional business and has also gone on to break existing box office records.

The movie has recorded the highest single day collections for a Hindi film, surpassing PK, Dangal and Dhoom 3.

These numbers would come as a breather for the whole team of Padmaavat, who have been under immense pressure ever since the film was announced. From receiving death threats to having bounties placed on their heads, both the director and and the lead actress have had a tough time getting the film to the theatres.

When compared to other Bhansali films and their opening weekend numbers, Padmaavat seems to have superseded his previous productions.

Bajirao Mastani, Bhansali's 2015 epic raked in Rs 46.77 crore in its opening weekend, according to Koimoi.com.

Ram-Leela, which again starred Padukone and Singh in a highly dramatic story of a tragic romance, earned Rs 52.60 crore in its opening weekend.

Guzaarish, which saw Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai team up, grossed Rs 13.78 crores in the first three days of its release. The film failed to leave a mark at the box office.

Saawariya, which marked the debut of Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor in Bollywood, made Rs 11.23 crore in its opening weekend, according to boxofficeindia.com.

Devdas, another one of Bhansali's big ticket films, minted Rs 6.15 crore in the first three days of its release. The 2002 film was made on a budget of Rs 44 crore and made a neat profit after excelling at both the international and national box office.

Therefore, looking at the past figures, Padmaavat looks like Bhansali's most promising film, despite facing multiple obstacles. Interestingly, the film now becomes Padukone's seventh film to cross the Rs 100 crore club whereas for Singh, its his third.