While it wasn’t entirely Salman who served as the inspiration for Rohit, it was Salman Khan’s film that opened Rohit’s eyes to the broader concept of a cop universe.
Rohit Shetty’s latest addition to his cop universe is the much-anticipated Singham Again. The movie is making waves in the industry, with fans raving about its action-packed thriller elements. However, do you know who actually inspired Rohit Shetty to create this cop universe? It was none other than Salman Khan. Yes, this may sound surprising, but it was the Bhai of Bollywood who inspired the filmmaker to develop films like Singham, Sooryavanshi, Simba, and now Singham Again.
While it wasn’t entirely Salman who served as the inspiration for Rohit, it was Salman Khan’s film that opened Rohit’s eyes to the broader concept of a cop universe. Many might think that Salman Khan’s Dabangg is the film in question, but surprisingly, it is actually Wanted. Released in 2009, Wanted was another hit for Salman that captured the audience’s hearts. The movie was made on a budget of Rs 35 crore and achieved massive success, ultimately earning Rs 90 crore.
During an interview, Rohit shared that he created Singham because of Wanted. He stated, “I made Singham because of Wanted. That was a phase when multiplexes came in. It was 2009; I was making All The Best. PVR had just opened up, new. At that time, nobody was making mass-action films.”
He continued, “Wanted was one underdog that came through. I thought the time had come back to make mass entertainers because even now, in multiplexes, people were clapping and cheering. And then, we made Singham in 2011.”
Directed by Prabhu Deva, Wanted premiered in September 2009, during a period when Bollywood primarily focused on family dramas and action films were not as popular. However, Wanted transformed the cinematic landscape, achieving blockbuster status with a worldwide collection of Rs 93 crore, as reported by The Times of India.
Meanwhile, returning to Singham Again, the movie is performing exceptionally well at the box office. On its opening day (November 1, 2024), Singham Again earned Rs 43.5 crore, while on day two, the film garnered Rs 42.5 crore. On day three, Singham Again’s box office collection stands at Rs 35 crore. As a result, the movie officially entered the Rs 100 crore club just three days after its release. Singham Again faced competition from Anees Bazmee’s horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.
