Fans queue up to purchase advance tickets of Chennai Express at Regent on Wednesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

This Id, there’s one train everyone wants to board — Chennai Express.

If advance openings are anything to go by, the SRK romcom could turn out to be the daddy of all hits this year.

The Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer that releases worldwide on August 9, has already grabbed 31 shows in Patna, four more than the number allotted to Dabangg 2, the biggest blockbuster of 2012.

Residents and cinema owners believe that the magic of SRK, Deepika, Rohit Shetty and a musical tribute to Thalaiva — Rajinikanth — will help the film clock new records and even break a few.

For the first time in Patna, a film will run in 31 shows daily — Cinepolis (18), Regent (5), Mona (5) and Elphinstone (3). Even Hrithik Roshan’s money churner Agneepath that released on January 26, 2012, was slotted 22 shows in the capital.

As far as Chennai Express is concerned, Cinepolis opened its advance booking on Wednesday, whereas Regent, Mona and Elphinstone opened their counters on Tuesday afternoon. The craze is such that people were buying tickets in bulk and were grabbing any ticket that came their way irrespective of the seating arrangement.

Danish Rizwan, a final-year history student at AN College, had come in a group to buy tickets. According to the 20-year-old, the Bollywood Badshah has given his fans the best gift this Id.

“As soon as the counters opened, we plunged in to get tickets. Missing the film would be a crime and I don’t want to feel guilty later. Khan bhai has given us the best gift on Id. How could we not accept it?” said Rizwan, who bought tickets for friends and family for two shows back-to-back.

If Rizwan’s draw was Shah Rukh, Rashmi Kumari of Arvind Mahila College swore by the lead pair.

“Both SRK and Deepika performed well in Om Shanti Om. They are back again with a film that looks totally out of this world. After watching the trailer, especially the south Indian accent of Deepika, it seems to be a fun-filled romantic journey,” said Rashmi, a first-year student.

Cinema owners believe that the film would be the biggest commercial hit of 2013. “So far 700 tickets have been sold for Saturday and Sunday. I am sure by Thursday, all the shows would be booked. Shah Rukh needs a hit because his previous film (Jab Tak Hai Jaan) did not do good business in Patna,” said Suman Kumar Sinha, the Regent owner.

He added that he would continue with Chennai Express shows despite a big release — Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobara — waiting next week.

“Chennai Express is sure to give me better business than Once Upon a Time,” said Sinha.