Has Akshay found his Dabangg?

Akshay Kumar's return to action in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Rowdy Rathore (RR) is working wonders. The film, co-starring Sonakshi Sinha, earned R57.8 crore till Monday, making it the highest grosser after Dabangg and 3 Idiots. It'll soon make its place in the 100- crore club, say experts."Single-screen cinemas are going berserk over RR. It's a straight blockbuster," says trade expert Komal Nahta. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh adds, "RR is Akshay's Dabangg. Akshay lived the role and (director) Prabhudheva knows his audience well. The film has netted R48.5 cr over the first weekend." Two-tier cities recorded a collection with an average of 85 per cent in single-screens. This, despite negative reviews. "People want entertainment and this film offers it. The critics rubbished Sholay (1975) and Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun...!(1994). What matters is how much money the film is making," says Adarsh.RR was released in 3,000 screens in India and overseas. Made at a budget of R45 cr, the film had recovered its money when its satellite, music and home video rights were sold for R35 cr, R7 cr and R3 cr respectively. And with overseas collections of R11 cr over the weekend, this is the biggest solo release of Akki's career. His last film, Sajid Khan's Housefull 2, also entered the coveted R100 crore club. This phase of hits, which began in 2012, came after a string of flops that started in 2009 with Chandni Chowk to China. "Flops don't deter me. And I will stay grounded despite the two successes this year."