‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ to cut across masses and classes, set for record opening: trade experts

Mumbai, Dec 3 (PTI) Allu Arjun-starrer “Pushpa 2: The Rule” is expected to break all box office records on its opening day as trade experts and exhibitors believe the sequel will attract a footfall of over 50 to 60 lakh and a weekend number that may go beyond Rs 150 crore.

According to online ticketing website BookMyShow, the movie has become the fastest movie to surpass the one million tickets sold on the platform, crossing previous records set by “Kalki 2898 AD”, “Bahubali 2” and “KGF 2”.

Gautam Dutta, CEO, Revenue & Operations, PVR INOX, said the sequel is already on its way to becoming a cult hit.

“We are talking about weekend footfall in the range of about 50-60 lakh. We are looking at ‘Pushpa’ doing about Rs 800-1000 crore (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 told PTI in an interview.

The film, like many hits from the south in recent years which have broken new grounds in Hindi speaking belt, is likely to cross over Rs 60 crore on day one in the north and the crowd frenzy that its trailer launch attracted in Patna was only a glimpse of the buzz surrounding the release.

“Everybody has given a red carpet welcome to the films. Look at the marketing done by Allu Arjun, he didn’t go to metro cities, he went to Patna, to the east and smaller towns. So the maximum advance bookings have come from the eastern regions. These are all super trends. I just hope that it cuts through masses and classes. That’s the whole promise of the film,” Dutta added.

Starring Allu Arjun, the sequel follows the highly successful first part, “Pushpa: The Rise,” which released in 2021. The movie will be released across the globe on December 5 with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam.

The original film, directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, was not only a commercial success, amassing over Rs 300 crores in India, but also established a strong fan base that has only grown over the years.

According to Ashish Saksena, COO – Cinemas, BookMyShow, metros like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Pune are leading in advance bookings.

“Anticipation for Pushpa 2: The Rule is at an all time high across both northern and southern markets, with distinct factors fuelling this excitement,” Saksena said.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh told PTI that despite the release day on December 5 being a working one, the audience response to the film is at its peak and many will catch the movie on the first day, first show.

“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, the executive director of Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy cinema, is hoping his popular single-screen theatres will run to packed houses. He said the film will be screened across all six of their 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, is optimistic that “Pushpa 2” will do business of Rs 300 crores over the weekend in the Hindi dubbed version. “The craze is multifold in the south and northern parts of the country,” Sharma told PTI.

The enthusiasm isn’t limited to Maharashtra; states like Bihar are already sold out, indicating Arjun’s immense popularity in the region where previous hits like “Surya: The Soldier” have set strong precedents, pointed out trade expert Atul Mohan.

“The maximum business of ‘Pushpa 1’ came from Bihar and UP, and Allu Arjun enjoys huge popularity over there,” Mohan told PTI, adding, the scenario mirrors the trends seen with successful franchises like “Baahubali” and “KGF,” where sequels built on the goodwill and popularity of their predecessors.

Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said the sequel will be the “biggest opener” in the Hindi language, raking in an impressive total of Rs 125-150 crore across all languages on its opening day alone.

“In the past, ‘RRR’ and ‘KGF 2′ have managed to get a good opening (in the Hindi belt). Sadly, the Hindi films are unable to do this, they don’t open that well in the south market,” Chauhan told PTI.  

Featuring Arjun as a low-wage labourer who rises within the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate, the strong character arcs combined with punchy Hindi dubbed dialogues, such as “Pushpa jhukega nahi” and memorable songs like “Srivalli”, “Oo Antava” and “Saami Saami”, captured the attention of moviegoers, becoming a cultural benchmark.

“There were so many reels made by common people in India and abroad and noted personalities on the songs, dialogues and Allu Arjun’s walk. All these factors allowed the film to thrive in mass centres, where popular culture often takes root,” Mohan added.

Dutta said the ticket prices for the movie range from Rs 200 to 2,500 at PVR INOX.

In Mumbai, the tickets for “Pushpa 2” have reportedly soared to a staggering Rs 3,000 in select theatres.

According to Jaipur-based film exhibitor Raj Bansal, this is the first instance where South Indian films are commanding ticket prices typically reserved for blockbuster Hindi films featuring stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

“I’ve priced the movie at Rs. 500 to 650 and the lowest is Rs. 200 to 250. For a South Indian film, this was never the case, this is the first time a South movie has this kind of pricing here (Hindi belt),” he said, adding that the ticket rate is kept in consultation with the distributor and producer.

While ticket prices are an issue in the North, Chennai-based trade analyst Ramesh Bala reassured there is substantial excitement for “Pushpa 2” in the south.

“In the five South states, it should do about Rs. 125 to 150 crore on day one at the box office. People are crazy in the South to watch the film on the first day irrespective of the high ticket rates,” Bala told PTI.