Yet again the predictions went well, this time for the opening of 'Shootout at Wadala' which saw around 60% opening. It was pretty much on the cards that the film would have maximum moolah coming in from the mass centres and this is what happened for this Sanjay Gupta directed affair that enjoyed steady footfalls over the weekend. While Friday scored 10 crores, Saturday was just marginally low whereas Sunday saw a jump again, hence leading to a weekend which saw over 30 crores coming in.

The film could have scored more but the 'A' certificate kept the family crowds away. The fact also remains that abundance of foul language further eliminated a segment of audience. Nevertheless, one can well assume that the makers would have made these calculations and hence stayed on with the eventual content which has been picked up well by its target audience i.e. youth at the mass centres, especially the single screens. At these centres, footfalls are expected to be stable in weekdays as well.

For John Abraham, this is now his third success in a matter of one year after 'Housefull 2' and 'Race 2'. On the other hand Anil Kapoor has gained further credibility as a veteran actor who has it in him to give newer entrants a run for their money. Ekta Kapoor would now be moving on to her next biggie 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2' while Sanjay Gupta can now breathe easy after making a successful comeback. One now looks forward to how audience continues to give this film a nod of approval, hence resulting in collections that threaten the 70 crore total of ‘Special 26’. The other release of the week, 'Bombay Talkies' has turned out to be a fair earner as well with over 5 crores* coming in.

These collections are in fact a tad better than what one had originally expected from this art-house affair that has a very restricted audience for itself. Working primarily in premium multiplexes across the country, the film should manage to cover costs though a longer run is ruled out.