At 6.45 am on a chilly January morning, nobody is on the road except reluctant newspaper vendors and milk delivery persons.
Even before the sun was up, Hanif, taking the first Metro from his home in Okhla, arrived at Delhi’s Select City Walk mall to catch the 6.55 am morning show of Pathaan. He was among some 60 people, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the superstar — after a hiatus of four years.“I wanted to watch the movie before my work starts at 11 am. I had to calculate the distance and figure out a way to reach this early. I was going through YouTube channels which recommended that I watch the movie in IMAX. I wanted to watch it in all its glory as it is Shah Rukh Khan in action,” said Hanif.
For some, it was the certainty of better seats. Apoorva and Rahul said they could not find recliner seats at any other time. “We wanted these particular seats and they were fully booked at all other times. We’re unable to scroll through social media because of the spoilers,” said Rahul.
The morning tickets are also cheaper by Rs 100 to Rs 200. This is what urged Zeeshan to bring his family of eight early in the morning. Zeeshan and his sister, mother, aunt, and cousins came all the way from Darya Ganj because they are a “family of Shah Rukh fans”.
“Hum Shah Rukh ke generation ke hain, aur khushkismat samjhte hain. Hum bade hue hain unki filmon ke saath… (We are from Shah Rukh’s generation and consider ourselves lucky. We have grown up with his films),” he said.
Ashish, who works at the PVR ticket counter, said that it has been a while since such a star-studded film was launched, which is reflected in the morning ticket sales. “Our ticket prices begin at Rs 400, which then increase as the day progresses to Rs 700, Rs 800 and even Rs 1,200. The pre-booking for today (Saturday) is at over 2,500, for shows after 12 pm,” he said.