This year's first big hit, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Raees', has registered Bollywood's highest box office numbers for Republic Day. The Rahul Dholakia film continues to draw audiences to cinemas in its second weekend. A joint production between Red Chillies Entertainment and Excel Entertainment, various factors ensured the movie earned positive reviews from critics and audience alike.

For starters, the buzz generated by the trailer with its retro look set the momentum. Then, the music hit the right notes from the moment the songs were launched. From 'Zaalima' and 'Udi Udi Jaye', to the remixed version of 'Laila Main Laila', saw the soundtrack rule the charts.

SRK, with his intense look essaying an anti-hero, first piqued audience curiosity when the film's look was released and then won them over with his performance when it opened in cinemas. Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing the cop, who's on Raees' trail, added to the hype. And post release, the SRK-Nawaz face-off, with their dialoguebaazi, left a solid impact on audiences. The realistic world the film is set in, SRK's romance with Mahira Khan, the action and the treatment ensured the movie connected with audiences, not just in India, but overseas too. Little wonder that 'Raees' not only set the cash registers ringing in India, but internationally as well.

With so much going for the film, the makers are optimistic about continuing to score big bucks at the ticket windows in the coming weeks.