- Wednesday, December 04, 2024
According to BookMyShow, “Pushpa 2” is the fastest film to sell one million tickets on the platform, beating previous record-holders like “Kalki 2898 AD”, “Bahubali 2”, and “KGF 2”
By: India Weekly
ALLU ARJUN’S highly anticipated sequel, “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, is expected to make a significant impact on its opening day.
Trade experts and exhibitors predict an opening day footfall of over 50 to 60 lakh and a weekend collection that could surpass ₹ 1.5 billion (£13.96 million)
The film, releasing globally on December 5 with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam, is already setting records.
According to BookMyShow, “Pushpa 2” is the fastest film to sell one million tickets on the platform, beating previous record-holders like “Kalki 2898 AD”, “Bahubali 2”, and “KGF 2”.
Gautam Dutta, CEO of Revenue & Operations at PVR INOX, remarked that the sequel is on track to become a cultural phenomenon.
“We are talking about weekend footfall in the range of about 5-6 million. We are looking at ‘Pushpa’ doing about ₹8-10 billion (overall)… On the first day itself we should get around one million people coming. It is going to be like 10 Eden Gardens (Kolkata’s iconic stadium) full at PVR,” Dutta said.
The sequel’s appeal extends beyond the south, where it gained strong traction following the success of the first film, “Pushpa: The Rise” (2021).
The film, directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, earned over ₹ 3 billion in India and built a devoted fan base.
Ashish Saksena, COO of Cinemas at BookMyShow, noted that metro areas such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Pune are leading in advance ticket sales.
“Anticipation for ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ is at an all-time high across both northern and southern markets, with distinct factors fueling this excitement,” Saksena said.
Despite the December 5 release falling on a weekday, trade expert Taran Adarsh expects the movie to break records.
“The advance sales are terrific. The box office collection will be historic; it will take a fabulous earth-shattering start all over India. If all goes well, it will be the biggest opening of Hindi cinema… It’s a working day, all fingers crossed. ‘Pushpa 1’ has created a ground for ‘Pushpa 2’, the love and adulation that the film has got over the years, on OTT and TV, is immense,” Adarsh said.
Manoj Desai, executive director of Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy cinema, is optimistic about packed houses at his theatres. “We are hoping ‘Housefull’ boards will be placed outside the theatre, however, it all depends on the content of the movie,” Desai told PTI.
Amit Sharma, MD of Miraj Entertainment Ltd, also expressed confidence in the film’s performance, estimating ₹3 billion (£27.93m) in business over the weekend for the Hindi dubbed version. “The craze is multifold in the south and northern parts of the country,” Sharma said.
The enthusiasm for “Pushpa 2” is evident in Bihar, where tickets are already sold out. Trade expert Atul Mohan highlighted Arjun’s widespread popularity in the region, pointing to the success of previous films like “Surya: The Soldier”.
“The maximum business of ‘Pushpa 1’ came from Bihar and UP, and Allu Arjun enjoys huge popularity over there,” Mohan added.
Exhibitor Vishek Chauhan indicated that “Pushpa 2” could become the “biggest opener” in Hindi, with a potential ₹ 1.25-1.50 billion collection on its opening day. Chauhan noted the trend that while films like RRR and KGF 2 have performed well in the Hindi market, Hindi films often struggle in the south.
The original Pushpa film was lauded for its strong character development and catchy dialogues, like “Pushpa jhukega nahi,” alongside songs that became cultural staples such as “Srivalli,” “Oo Antava,” and “Saami Saami.” These elements contributed to its success, even inspiring social media reels worldwide.
Dutta confirmed ticket prices at PVR INOX range from ₹ 200-2,500, while select theatres in Mumbai have tickets priced at ₹ 3,000.
Jaipur-based exhibitor Raj Bansal noted this as a landmark event for South Indian cinema in the Hindi belt, where prices typically match those of blockbuster Hindi releases. “I’ve priced the movie at ₹ 500-650 and the lowest is ₹ 200-250. For a South Indian film, this was never the case,” Bansal said.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala also emphasised the immense demand in the south. “People are crazy in the South to watch the film on the first day irrespective of the high-ticket rates,” Bala said.
