Salman Khan's Bharat hit theatres today. A large number of fans gathered outside Bandra's popular multiplex Gaiety Galaxy, also known as G7, to celebrate the release of 'Bhai's' Eid release. A cutout of Salman Khan, with garlands, was placed in front of the theatre, right in front of the film's poster.

While Bharat opened with mixed reviews by critics, the film's box office performance in the morning looked decent. According to distributor Rajesh Thadani, the box office performance of Bharat looks good so far. "It may get affected slightly (due to the match), but still numbers will be big," Thadani said. India will play against South Africa in their World Cup campaign opener in Southampton.

Film and cricket buffs may be divided over what to watch today - Bharat or India's first match at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, but trade pundits feel the movie will remain unaffected.

Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Miraj Cinemas, told IANS that usually, the combination of Eid and a Salman Khan film is a "bumper blockbuster". "I don't see any impact (on the film due to the World Cup match)... I am not downplaying the World Cup match, but there is still time for matches to gain momentum. The World Cup has just begun, and in the T20 era, people take a little time to get into the groove of a 50-over format. I feel the match won't impact Day 1 collections of 'Bharat'."

As for its long run at the theatres, trade expert, Girish Johar said everything depends on the content. "If it is bad, then the dent will be felt. If it is good, the dent will be subsumed," Johar said, adding that Eid will generate positive sales at the ticket windows for "Bharat".

Bharat follows the story of a man over a period of 60 years. Salman's character will go through several important phases in India's history. This is unlike any other movie project that Salman Khan has ever undertaken before.

Bharat is the official remake of Ode To My Father. Ode To My Father depicted Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of an ordinary man. Similarly, Bharat will highlight key chapters in Indian history.

Bharat, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, is the director's third collaboration with Salman Khan after the 2016 film Sultan and the 2017 film Tiger Zinda Hai.