EXCLUSIVE: Golmaal 5 release strategy decoded - The BIG ‘Gujarat factor’ behind Rohit Shetty’s January 8 date

The weekend began on a positive note for fans of Golmaal. The release date of the much-awaited next instalment, Golmaal 5, has finally been announced – January 8, 2027. An entertaining motion poster featuring the principal cast was unveiled as well. Interestingly, Golmaal Returns (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010) and Golmaal Again (2017) were all Diwali releases. Hence, Golmaal 5, much like Golmaal (2006), will arrive in cinemas without the advantage of a major festival holiday. However, Bollywood Hungama has learned that considerable thought has gone into choosing the January 8 date, with the Gujarat factor playing an important role.

A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Rohit Shetty has been toying with the idea of bringing Golmaal 5 for many months in January. He realized that by January 8, most of the audiences would have consumed the December biggies like King, Avengers: Doomsday, etc. and would be ready to watch his film. Secondly, all films of Rohit Shetty have done extraordinary business in Gujarat. The state will have a huge holiday of Makar Sankranti on Thursday, January 14. January 15 will also be a holiday of sorts. Hence, the makers of Golmaal 5 expect a huge boost in the second week, courtesy Gujarat.”

The trade source also said, “It is for this reason that Rohit and Ajay Devgn also toyed with the idea of releasing Golmaal 5 on January 14. However, Love & War releases a week later, on January 21. With a release on January 8, they’ll be able to now enjoy a clean two-week run.”

Rohit Shetty and Gujarat – a match made in heaven

Since the beginning, Rohit Shetty’s films have performed well in Gujarat, but this phenomenon became particularly evident with Singham (2011). On the day the Ajay Devgn-starrer released, Bollywood Hungama reported, “What really came as a surprise was that at a cineplex in Ahmedabad, the audience gave a standing ovation to the film after the show concluded.” This was significant as Singham predominantly had a Marathi flavour, and yet, it was embraced wholeheartedly by audiences in Gujarat right from the first day.

Later, Golmaal Again set all-time records in centres like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, etc. It was one of only four films in 2017 to cross the Rs. 30 crore mark in the Gujarat/Saurashtra circuit, alongside Baahubali 2, Raees and Tiger Zinda Hai. The rest of the films that year could not even cross the Rs. 15 crore mark in the circuit.

Sooryavanshi (2021), meanwhile, released amid the Covid-19 pandemic when cinemas were operating with 50% occupancy restrictions. While its opening was impressive across India, its performance in Gujarat was extraordinary. Within just six days, it had surpassed the lifetime collections of films like Simmba, Kabir Singh and Dhoom 3 in the Gujarat/Saurashtra circuit, before going on to overtake several other major blockbusters in the region.

Also Read: Rohit Shetty confirms Golmaal 5 cast; reveals release date with a ‘whistle-worthy’ motion poster

More Pages: Golmaal 5 Box Office Collection

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