Even before its release, Ready was expected to take a big opening. It netted Rs 13.15 crore across India on Day One. Trade experts attribute it to Salman Khan.

“Wanted, followed by Dabangg, has helped Ready open to full houses,” says  trade analyst, Amod Mehra, who’s expecting the film to make over Rs 40 crore in the first three days.

Manoj Desai, executive director of Maratha Mandir and G-7 Cineplex, adds that it has broken the jinx of big films failing to take off. “Ready will ensure full houses at my theatres till Monday,” he exults but declines to comment on why it did not match up to Dabangg that netted Rs 14.50 crore on the opening day.

Mehra attributes this to the lack of content: “The story is typically South Indian cinema. And it’s hard for audiences in the Hindi belt to accept cousins getting married. For us such a union is incestuous.”

A veteran distributor, on condition of anonymity asserts that Ready will, at the most, net as much as Golmaal 3 (Rs 117 crore). “It’s opened big like Welcome (2009) and Singh Is Kinng (2008), but it’s not as good as Dabangg,” he rues.

The vacation period has helped the film take a start, along with the lack of family entertainers in recent times. Observes Sunil Punjabi, CEO, Cinemas, “With schools and colleges to re-open in a week, people are flocking to theatres.

The weekend should see 100 per cent occupancy but audience response is mixed. The first half is fantastic but the second half is slow and disappointing.