All-time Hindi first weekend at the box office: Pathaan takes the top spot, followed by KGF 2, Baahubali 2, Sanju

Pathaan (in Hindi) surpassed KGF 2 by a whopping Rs. 20 crore nett and the best original Hindi film Sanju by Rs. 40 crore nett during the course of its first three days, setting a record-breaking Rs. 160 crore nett. Simply put, the movie has raised the bar for box office success.

The film was always expected to do well and give the industry hope. However, what has happened has exceeded all expectations and given the industry more than hope, since it is now clear that the Hindi film business can do well in the future with the right movies. The weekend records have all decreased and will keep doing so for a while. Since the biggest grossers came from the South, the industry hasn't witnessed a blockbuster like Pathaan in a while.

Surprisingly, it is the only Shah Rukh Khan movie in the top 10 weekend box office earners, but that will change as the superstar stars in more movies that combine his star power with other genres instead of just relying on it.

The following are the top 10 Hindi movie opening weekends:

Pathaan (Hindi) - Rs. 160.50 crore

KGF 2 (Hindi) - Rs. 140.45 crore

Bahubali: The Conclusion (Hindi) - Rs. 127.28 crore

Sanju - Rs. 119.33 crore

Tiger Zinda Hai - Rs. 114.91 crore

Sultan - Rs. 105.55 crore

Dangal (Hindi) - Rs. 104.53 crore

Brahmastra (Hindi)  -  Rs. 102.54 crore

Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Rs. 101.42 crore

Race 3 - Rs. 100.64 crore

About Pathaan's incredible performance at the box office, director Siddharth Anand said in a statement that having the largest three-day collection in Hindi film history feels wonderful. This is a great result for someone who cares about their work, and it will encourage him to keep pushing the limits of Indian cinema.

He also said that his personal goal has always been to make spectacle films that entertain audiences and give them the best experience as a group. In the majority of his movies, Siddharth has tried to do that. Following the success of War and Pathaan, the director is feeling even more confident in pushing his team and himself to create larger spectacles that will make India proud on the international stage.