Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat is all set to create history at the Indian box office.

With a monumental collection of Rs 32 crore on its first Friday, Padmaavat’s performance is a reminder that despite widespread protests, cinephiles showed up at the ticketing counters to appreciate a piece of art and stand by the freedom of expression.

On Saturday too, Padmaavat earned a whopping Rs 27 crore, taking its total collection to Rs 83 crore, reports the Indian Express.

While Padmaavat (earlier called Padmavati) has been mired in controversies ever since its announcement, looks like what worked in Padmaavat’s favour now is exactly that, audiences are more than interested in knowing what the entire controversy is about.

But that doesn’t negate the fact that despite Padmaavat being denied a screening in certain states due to reasons of ‘law and order,’ its collections are on the up and up.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh also suggests that Padmaavat will comfortably cross the Rs 100 crore mark when its Sunday collection is taken into account.

After all, this is the film’s first Sunday. It is safe to say that Padmaavat’s collection is exactly how Deepika Padukone claimed before its release, ‘earth-shattering.’

Here is the day wise break-up of Padmaavat’s collection:
1. January 27 – Rs 27 crore
2. January 26 – Rs 32 crore
3. January 25 – Rs 19 crore
4. January 24 (Paid Previews) – Rs 5 crore
Total – Rs 83 crore

Based on the Malik Mohammad Jayasi Padmavat, the film invited controversy with talks of a dream sequence between Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavati. And despite the makers clarifying multiple times that no such scene exists in the film, Karni Sena hooligans along with other fringe outfits have continued to revolt against the film’s release.