Shah Rukh Khan's ambitious film Ra.One has created history. According to trade analyst Komal Nahta, the film has crossed Rs. 25 crore in collections on the second day of its release, which is the highest ever. Earlier Mail Today reported that Ra.One failed to beat the first-day collections of Salman Khan's Bodyguard. Ra.One saw opening day collections of around Rs. 15.5 crore on Diwali. Combined with the intake from the film's Tamil and Telugu versions, the figure stands at around Rs. 18.25 crore. The numbers are way below that of Bodyguard, which saw a first- day collection of Rs. 21 crore on Eid.

King Khan's Rs. 140- crore superhero extravaganza - touted as Bollywood's most expensive film - was released with over 6,000 prints on 3,200 screens across the world. In comparison, Bodyguard had released on 2,700 screens. "Releasing the film on the Diwali day itself has turned out to be a dampener," trade analyst Komal Nahata said on SRK's decision to release Ra.One on October 26, a Wednesday, to cash in on the extended festive weekend.

"Diwali is an auspicious occasion. Most people prefer to stay at home. This could be a reason for the low collections on Day One. But looking at the festive mood, the figures are likely to escalate at the weekend," Nahata added. The trade, though, is not yet willing to compare Ra.One with Bodyguard, which has grossed over Rs. 100 crore so far. "It's too early to compare. Salman's film released on Eid, which is traditionally a bountiful period in terms of collections as most people throng to cinema halls then," Nahata said.

Others are optimistic. "Ra.One is the most awaited film for SRK fans as it's his first release in over a year after My Name is Khan. People will compare Ra.One with Bodyguard, but one must remember the two films are as different as chalk and cheese. Ra.One's collections can escalate from the second day. Indeed, the entire weekend's collections will decide its fate," trade analyst Taran Adarsh said.

"Ra.One has a better chance of getting a bigger weekend than other big releases of the year because most multiplexes have hiked ticket prices by 20 per cent," a local exhibitor said. An early report on the website of a leading daily on Thursday had erroneously said Ra.One raked in Rs. 20 crore on its first day, with the figure standing at Rs. 22 crore if combined with the collections from the Tamil and Telugu prints.

Eros International, co-producer of Ra.One along with SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment, later clarified that the film's collection was actually around Rs. 15.5 crore. SRK had left no stone unturned for the film's promotion, having allocated over Rs. 45 crore for it. The film was premiered with huge fanfare in London, New York, Dubai and Toronto - and has received the best response in Dubai so far.

The film collected £ 179,653 (Rs. 89.5 lakh) in the UK, and $ 34,946 (Rs. 18 lakh) in Australia on Day One. Some exhibitors believe it should have been released a day after the Diwali Lakshmi Puja on Wednesday, which is traditionally not good for business since the puja takes place in the evening. "A dip was noted in the evening shows on Diwali, which is the time when families pray and celebrate," a local distributor said. Ra.One needs to earn at least Rs. 100 crore in its first weekend to see profits.