‘Pushpa 2’ offers a ray of hope for box office as theatres look to end the lull
The highly awaited ‘Pushpa: The Rule- Part 2’ is expected to gross ₹200 crore on its opening day, reviving cinema attendance
New Delhi: Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa: The Rule- Part 2 is expected to not just end the lull at the theatres but also become the biggest opener ever across Indian languages with an anticipated opening day gross box office collection of around ₹200 crore.
The highly anticipated sequel of the action film franchise may pave the way for several single-screen cinemas in the mass-market Hindi-speaking belt that have been waiting for a film to hit the jackpot as business remained dull over the past few months. While collections in the Telugu market are already expected to be strong, the team has been touring the northern region for extensive marketing and promotions.
In the past, all-time hits such as Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and RRR had earned ₹152 crore and ₹158.6 crore on their opening days, respectively.
“The buzz around Pushpa 2 is fairly unprecedented and it’s bound to do well in both metros and smaller towns. That is proven by how everyone has cleared the way and there are no other releases, even in Bollywood, in order to give it a red carpet welcome,” Gautam Dutta, CEO, revenue and operations, PVR Inox Ltd, said.
Dutta added that the multiplex chain estimates 85-90 lakh footfall for the film within the first week and 1.3-1.4 crore footfalls in total over its lifetime run. Other than home market in the Telugu-speaking states, Dutta said the film was seeing massive advances in non-traditional markets such as Kolkata.
Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer for cinemas at BookMyShow, remarked that Pushpa 2: The Rule has become the fastest film to sell over 1 million tickets on the platform, surpassing records set by Kalki 2898 AD, Baahubali 2 and K.G.F.: Chapter 2. The film is particularly popular in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Pune.
“There is no question about the buzz around the film being absolutely fantastic and the best this year. It is chasing big box office targets, and anything between ₹50 crore and ₹60 crore on day one for the Hindi version alone is on the cards,” independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said.
Chauhan, however, added that the film is carrying the burden of being compared to the previous instalment that had broken out unexpectedly in the Hindi belt, making over ₹100 crore despite covid-related restrictions. Given the extraordinary success, anything less than ₹500 crore in lifetime box office for Pushpa 2 would be deemed a failure.
“A lot of cinemas have been running on losses and trying to meet expenses in order to screen this film. People are definitely aware of the movie and have been making inquiries,” said Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar.
There is also a plan to increase prices as viewers may not mind spending a little extra. “This month is going to be really decisive as far as business is concerned and if the film doesn’t run, the entire industry, including producers and distributors, will be impacted,” Garg added.
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First Published:3 Dec 2024, 02:03 PM IST
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