Sky Force has come as a much-needed relief for Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, marking his most successful movie release in years. The film opened to solid double-digit collections.
According to Sacnilk, Sky Force earned Rs 11.25 crore (net) on its opening day. The movie was made on a relatively modest budget of Rs 160 crore.
The last big hit in Akshay Kumar's career was Sooryavanshi (2021), directed by Rohit Shetty. It was made on a budget of Rs 160 crore and earned Rs 293 crore globally.
His last few releases, including Khel Khel Mein, Sarfira, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Mission Raniganj, Selfiee, Ram Setu, Raksha Bandhan, Samrat Prithviraj, and Bachchhan Paandey, all failed to make a mark at the box office.
Akshay's last major release, Singham Again, raked in Rs 372.4 crore globally, but that movie was led by Ajay Devgn and featured an ensemble cast, with Akshay appearing in a cameo. Additionally, he made a guest appearance in Stree 2, which performed well, earning Rs 857.15 crore worldwide.
Since the film's trailer launch, Sky Force has drawn comparisons to Fighter, which stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Fighter was also released around Republic Day last year and made Rs 22.5 crore on its opening day. Fighter, with a production budget of Rs 250 crore, went on to become a success, grossing Rs 358.83 crore worldwide.
Sky Force is based on the untold story of India's first and deadliest airstrike, showcasing the events of the 1965 India-Pakistan War.
Veer Pahariya makes his acting debut as IAF officer T Vijaya, who goes missing in action during the war, while Akshay Kumar plays his fellow officer, KO Ahuja, who embarks on a mission to find him.
The film also features Nimrat Kaur and Sara Ali Khan in important roles. Sky Force is directed by Sandeep Kelwani and Abhishek Kapur.