Will 'Ek Tha Tiger' be Salman's biggest hit ever?

Mumbai: If inside information is any indication, Aditya Chopra wants his forthcoming venture with Salman Khan to be not only the actor's biggest hit, but also surpass Aamir Khan's '3 Idiots' at the box office. The filmmaker is, in fact, studying the success trends of both the actors and chalking out an appropriate strategy.

No stone unturned

A well-placed industry source tells us that the Chopra scion is sparing no effort or cost to ensure that when the Kabir Khan directed film, also featuring Katrina Kaif, opens on Eid, it rakes in the highest collections ever.

"The idea is to not only surpass 'Bodyguard's first day collections of Rs 20 crore, but also the opening day numbers of Rs 26 crore registered by 'Agneepath', if possible," says our informer, adding that this is also why the makers will be releasing the film with a record number of prints in India and the overseas circuit.

Global reach

He further explains, "Keeping in mind the promotional activities Salman did for his previous films, Aditya is planning the marketing of their film to ensure maximum engagement with the audience.

So apart from just visiting malls in different cities, Aditya is insisting on an activity for Salman to establish a connect with the audience that will guarantee high sale of ticket. And apart from India, he's also planning a series of visits to overseas territories like US, UK, UAE and Australia, so that the film registers record collections abroad too.”

The Wednesday effect

Needless to say, some promotional activity will also be planned in keeping with the Eid release, scheduled some time in the middle of August. "And after 'Bodyguard', it looks like this film too will release on a Wednesday. So that makes the business dynamics of the long weekend even more interesting," points out source, adding that Salman too will be sitting with Aditya to finalise their marketing strategies.

"There's also a plan for some merchandise associated with the film, like T-shirts for example. Things will be finalised by May-end, so they can start the promotional campaign early June," sums up our source.