‘Sultan’ is one of the most anticipated films of the year. It comes as no surprise that Salman Khan's Eid release Sultan has taken the first step to being one of the biggest hits of 2016. Released in 4000 screens nationwide, the film started off business with a bang, with solid advance booking numbers, almost 90 per cent occupancies in early shows and theatres running to full capacity. The festive release of the film seems to have done the makers a world of good as Sultan has gone on to earn Rs 36.54 crore in its first day. While this is the highest of 2016 so far by a large margin, this is the second highest opening day number for a Salman film, exceeded only by Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Rs 40.35 crore). Despite high expectations, Sultan couldn't beat Shah Rukh Khan's reigning highest opening day figure of Rs 44 crore for Happy New Year. With a five-day opening weekend on the cards, Sultan may be able to blockbuster numbers if the upswing holds up.
The movie features Salman as a rustic wrestler from Haryana who goes on to win medals for the country, but loses his way after that. The plot revolves around how he reinvents his wrestler streak in mixed martial arts.