Advance tickets for the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone-starrer Pathaan have sold out in Bangladesh ahead of its release in theatres across the country today, according to reports in The Daily Star.

“A total of 41 cinema halls will be screening Pathaan around the country, running 198 shows every day. Moreover, tickets for the first and second days are almost sold out already,” Anonno Mamun of Action-Cut Entertainment, the organisation bringing the spy action thriller to Bangladesh, told the daily.

“The presence of e-tickets and the box office allow us to easily track how much the film is earning in real-time. Pathaan is getting a good response from the audience as the film's pre-tickets are being sold. Some of these show tickets are already sold out. I hope this flow of audience response remains uninterrupted,” he added.

Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand, will be the first Bollywood film to be released in Bangladesh in eight years. Bollywood films have been banned in Bangladesh since 1972 so that their local film industry could thrive. Though the ban was lifted in 2010, resulting in the release of 3 Idiots and My Name Is Khan in the country, it was reimposed following protests from the local industry. In 2015, the ban was again relaxed to allow Salman Khan’s Wanted to release in the country.

Also starring John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana, Pathaan emerged as the biggest Indian hit of 2023, grossing over Rs 1050 crore worldwide. The spy action thriller collected Rs 623 crore gross at the domestic box office and Rs 377 crore from the international market.