In a year when much-hyped films featuring superstars shockingly bit the dust, Ranveer Singh did what he does best - take the box office by storm. If he kicked off 2018 with the runaway hit Padmaavat, the actor ended the year on a strong note with Simmba that is racing towards the Rs 200-crore mark.



Ranbir Kapoor

The Rohit Shetty-directed film enjoyed an opening weekend collection of over Rs 75 crore. It won't be wrong to say that Singh's films now command opening numbers that were once the privilege of Bollywood's trio - Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan.



Singh on the sets of Simmba

Point it out to Singh, and he says, "It's critical for Hindi film business that the newer generation of stars like Ranbir [Kapoor] and I take forward the work that our seniors have put in. They have built the eco-system of the business, and it's heartening to see our efforts paying off. Our numbers are respectable so far."



Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan

Terming the month gone by as "decisive December", the actor asserts that Simmba's success has encouraged them to envision it as a franchise. "One can only fathom what will happen when the worlds of Simmba, Singham and Sooryavanshi [Shetty's next featuring Akshay Kumar] merge. There is no one better suited than Rohit to handle a film of this magnitude," says Singh, who switches gears to Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy next.

The actioner's success called for a bash, which was held on Monday night. The man of the moment pulled off another unlikely feat - he had Akshay Kumar partying till midnight. He laughs, "Even I was surprised that he was out till so late. He has been supportive of me and my work."

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