It’s Eid, and Salman Khan-starrer Sultan is here. First and foremost, Eid Mubarak everyone! Given that the advance booking for Sultan has been off the hook, with ticket sales starting from this Sunday, 3 July, this Eid is all set to be a record-breaker for Bhai. Forbes reports that _Sultan_ is being released on as many as 4,200 screens in India and 1,200 screens in the rest of the world. Most trade analysts have predicted that the opening day can gather close to 45 crores in the box office, and a lifetime collection of up to 300 crores. [caption id=“attachment_2462422” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The first look of Salman Khan in ‘Sultan’. Image Credit: @BeingSalmanKhan[/caption] Sultan is the story of the rise and fall of a wrestling legend Sultan Singh. Hailing from Haryana, his path crosses Aarfa, played by Anushka Sharma, who is also a wrestler. Sultan then makes his journey from a kushti wrestler to an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter. The buzz around the film is immense. With Aamir Khan releasing the poster of his film Dangal merely two days before the release of Sultan, audiences are curious to know what the film has in store for Salman fans as well as audiences across the globe. Director Ali Abbas Zafar explains in this interview with India Today about having Salman play a character like Sultan. “What I did was logically guided his star power into Sultan. People like him without a shirt. So I was like, okay, then let’s make him a wrestler. He is shirtless plus wearing a langot. But it is not a gimmick. There is a justification. He looks the fittest he can. Also when a wrestler leaves his physical activity, he gets into a certain body size. So you see him heavy as well,” he said. In this live blog, we will be tracking how the film fares on day one, before the reviews are out. Since it is a Salman Khan film, keeping with his global reach, our correspondents will be visiting a single screen theatre in Bandra (Gaiety cinemas is known for their craze for bhai), a press screening by Yash Raj Films and a first day first show at a suburban multiplex, to find out how audiences all over are reacting to Sultan. Read on!
'Sultan' review LIVE: What wrestling? Salman-Anushka's love trumps all in this typical YRF film
In this live blog, we will be tracking how Sultan fares on day one, before the reviews are out.
 "'Sultan' review LIVE: What wrestling? Salman-Anushka's love trumps all in this typical YRF film")
As two out of three screenings of ‘Sultan’ are done, we are now ending this live blog!
Watch out for Anna Vetticad’s review of the film soon on Firstpost. Also check out our Facebook page for a live video reaction outside Gaiety cinemas once the First Day First Show is done.
Eid Mubarak to all our readers!
Live from Gaiety:
People are rushing back in hoards after the interval. Crowds outside are buying tickets in black, and there are housefull shows back to back through the day.
The Bhowanipur Fan Club of Salman Bhaijaan celebrates #Sultan by cutting a cake! pic.twitter.com/8xnLr8Li8B
— t2 (@t2telegraph) July 6, 2016
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We once had a Badshah...
— Aniket Bose (@ABnormalConnect) July 6, 2016
We now have a Sultan.#SultanDay #EidMubarak @BeingSalmanKhan
Live frm YRF:
Even though it’s draggy and predictable, ‘Sultan’ still holds your attention, It’s sweet, funny and succeeds in passing the emotions and feels to the audiences in the best possible way.
Meanwhile, not everyone is buying into the ‘Salmania’
#Sultan is exactly the male-glorifying, patriarchal, overdramatic, predictable actioner you expect it to be. What to do. #TooOldForThis
— Pradeep (@pradflix) July 6, 2016
Live from YRF:
‘Sultan’ has an extremely exciting first half. It’s well-paced, motivating and emotional. The second half has a good start but starts to crumble. All this leads up to a predictable plot.
When you have to go fight but bae sends you a selfie 😛
*A moment of calm amid the storm*
Because we believe in holistic updates.
Now the film's flaws. It is almost 3 hours long and the narrative tends to slip into melodrama in between #Sultan
— News18 Showsha (@News18Showsha) July 6, 2016
@taran_adarsh #Sultan at chandan. Milk & crackers by fans !! pic.twitter.com/mvcnfjPhKq
— PQRST (@vidhita0502) July 6, 2016
Live from YRF:
The second half has Sultan getting back into action. He joins the Pro Cut Wrestling series and fights international matches and wrestlers from all over the world. All of a sudden, the film takes a ‘Chak De’ turn. It becomes about India and its win.
Haven't seen #multiplex audience go so crazy inside theatre. None else but @BeingSalmanKhan does the magic. #Sultan @yrf @AnushkaSharma
— Kishor Dwivedi (@Kishor__Dwivedi) July 6, 2016
Here’s what is happening at Chandan cinemas, Juhu. #EidwithSultan
wow.. Hysteria takes over #sultan release @SultanTheMovie @yrf Live from #chandan pic.twitter.com/YvGflw2uXo #EidWithSultan @SabinaLamba
— Sultan Salman (@BeingSouravX1) July 6, 2016
Live from Gaiety: ‘Baby ko Bass Pasand Hai’ just saw the first two rows stand up and dance! Crowd is cheering and hooting like crazy
Post interval observations from the YRF media screening:
‘Sultan’ is completely unlike the typical Salman movies that we have seen in the recent past. Here’s a Salman character who doesn’t worry about being seen as weak. Sultan is a character not just obsessed with being macho, heck he even shows his protuding tummy in the movie.
‘Mithi main tera khoon’ is the background score through the film. This one’s going to be motivational anthem of the year!
Live from Inox, Malad: The first show of the day is done. Here’s our correspondent’s verdict.
‘Sultan’ is a typical YRF film. It has a happy ending, a conflict and a resolution. Salman is fabulous but that was expected. What really made us sit up and think is Anushka’s role. Despite her lovely performance, you can’t help but notice how she is his support, not his equal, she’s the reason he gets back into the ring, but she doesn’t wrestle anymore.
However, woh kya kehta hai? Film hit hai 🙂
The ‘Chak De’ reference you’ve all been waiting for!
#Sultan is entertaining but don't expect it to be a Chak De
— खबरीलाल (@raghavjaitly) July 6, 2016
Bhai ki entry.
Full on entertainment! #Superhit #SultanDay @BeingSalmanKhan @SultanTheMovie @yrf #loveSalman pic.twitter.com/cAEVCBdfAH
— charmi janani (@charmi_janani) July 6, 2016
Siddharth from Gaiety reports: Extra staff appointed just for today to maintain smooth movie watching experience, since it’s a Salman film and the festive weekend.
http://web18.bc.cdn.bitgravity.com/LiveBlog/vod/2016/07/41ed70600881dfd5d056b426d38a788d.mp4
Live from Inox, Malad: Randeep Hooda is brilliant. He brings up the film’s spirits and also manages to shine in a Salman film. Great acting.
It’s interval point at the YRF screening and here are some observations:
Halfway into the movie, ‘Sultan’ is unlike any other Salman Khan film we have seen in the recent past. This one has every possibility of being the best bhai film we have seen in the longest time.
If this your apology for ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, Salman, then apology accepted. 🙂
Anushka does have an equal and important role, inspite of the plot showing otherwise. Yes, the movie has some problematic dialogues that paint Sultan to be an MCP, but that it there because of the context and setting of the film.
Sultan is no doubt going to be the biggest Eid blockbuster ever, until and unless they ruin the second half.
Our producer Siddharth Aalambayan goes live from Gaiety cinemas in Bandra, on Facebook. Check out his live video, covering the buzz around ‘Sultan’ before the movie begins!
Live from YRF: All her life, Aarfa trained to win at the Olympics. After she gets married to Sultan, she give it up because of pregnancy. Our correspondent almost cried when she tells her father that it’s alright because Sultan is her gold. *cue drama*
While Anushka saying this looks extremely patriarchal, and it depicts a society where women give up their dreams for marriage, Sultan, the movie, portrays this in the sweetest possible manner.
Love does trump all in YRF’s universe.
Watched sultan last night@BeingSalmanKhan@aliabbaszafar @yrf will Break all time records-a super mainstream... https://t.co/9xnqSCQgqW
— Subhash Ghai (@SubhashGhai1) July 6, 2016
And BAM👊🏼!! #Sultan kicks some serious ass! So proud of @aliabbaszafar & @BeingSalmanKhan for making a real sports film with emotion & heart
— Mini Mathur (@minimathur) July 5, 2016
Interval at #Sultan screening. Can't believe it's been written and directed by the guy who made Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Gunday.
— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) July 6, 2016
‘Sultan’ leaked online: YRF denies development; cyber crime sleuths say it’s on dark net – Firstpost
#Sultan opens to 70% opening on 4300 screens. 40cr day one possible.
— Saddy (@king_sadashiva) July 6, 2016
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