Kareena Kapoor at No.1

Kareena Kapoor has reaffirmed her place as the number one female star in the business. Her Bodyguard, opposite Salman Khan, has taken a historic opening across India — and the trade is already calculating how far beyond the ₹150 crore mark it might travel.

The short answer: Bodyguard opened on August 31, 2011, with a then-record ₹21.6 crore opening day and raced toward ₹100 crore in its extended first week. Combined with 3 Idiots and Golmaal 3, it made Kareena the only actress of her generation with that kind of box-office run. (Bollywood Hungama)

What did Bodyguard actually earn?

The numbers were unprecedented for their time. The film netted ₹21.6 crore on its opening day — breaking the record set by Dabangg — and collected roughly ₹85–86 crore over its extended five-day opening weekend. Its nine-day first week landed around ₹109 crore nett, and it finished its run near ₹149 crore in India. For a September 2011 release, these were uncharted figures.

Why did this put Kareena at No. 1?

Because of the company the film keeps on her resume. 3 Idiots (2009) was Hindi cinema's first ₹200 crore grosser; Golmaal 3 (2010) crossed ₹100 crore; and now Bodyguard was headed for the same club. No other actress at the time could claim that streak. While 3 Idiots is remembered as an Aamir Khan–Rajkumar Hirani triumph and Golmaal 3 as an ensemble success, Bodyguard rested squarely on two shoulders — Salman and Kareena — and her author-backed role as the romantic lead gave her performance a visibility her recent films hadn't.

What came next for her?

In an industry where box-office collections position a star on the ladder, Kareena was ruling from the top — with a film opposite every Khan in the business lined up over the following months: Ra.One (Shah Rukh Khan), Agent Vinod (Saif Ali Khan), the tentatively titled Dhuaan (Aamir Khan, which became Talaash), and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (Imran Khan). Few phases in a leading lady's career have looked this crowded at the top.

Source: The Indian Express; box-office figures via Bollywood Hungama.