 "Pushpa 2: The Rule likely to become India's biggest box office hit")
Pushpa 2: The Rule is expected to dominate India’s box office (BO), with industry experts predicting that the movie will break opening-day box office records.
The much-awaited sequel to Pushpa: The Rise — Part 1 is set to be released on December 5, with Telugu star Allu Arjun reprising his role as Pushpa Raj. Cinema exhibitors told Business Standard that the movie will initially be released in 2D, meaning Allu Arjun’s fans will have to wait to watch the movie in 3D.
According to a report by Elara Capital, the Sukumar Bandreddi-directed film is set to achieve a global gross BO collection of Rs 1,000 crore, with the Hindi version expected to gross Rs 500 crore. Pushpa: The Rise — Part 1, released in 2021, grossed Rs 400 crore in India. This massive demand could push theatre occupancy to over 40 per cent in December, resulting in higher footfall.
“There is a possibility that Pushpa 2: The Rule could be the highest-grossing movie in the country across all languages,” said Amit Sharma, managing director of Miraj Entertainment. Sharma expects the Hindi-language version to generate Rs 60-65 crore on its opening day.
“The film is also poised to make history with an expected BO collection exceeding Rs 200 crore in its first weekend. At PVR Inox, we are proud to present this cinematic extravaganza, setting the tone for an unforgettable season of entertainment,” said Gautam Dutta, chief executive officer of revenue and operations, PVR Inox.
“Pushpa 2: The Rule is going to be the biggest movie in terms of BO numbers ever made in India,” said Ashish Pandey, head of programming and strategic initiatives at MovieMax Cinemas.
“The movie will generate Rs 600-800 crore in Hindi, with a similar Rs 400-600 crore expected in other languages in the South. So, we are talking about a range of Rs 1,000-1,400 crore for Pushpa 2: The Rule,” Pandey added.
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With Hindi cinema struggling to grab the audience’s attention, and only the horror-comedy genre and re-released films bringing the desired footfall for multiplexes, Pushpa 2: The Rule has gained massive momentum across India in terms of BO estimates and advance bookings. However, the movie has particularly seen strong demand in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions.
“The prices for the Hindi version are almost in the same range as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again. But when it comes to the South, specifically the Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh regions, ticket prices have gone up by 25-30 per cent,” Sharma added.
Elara Capital believes that the movie’s strong recall value will help it break records set by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and K.G.F: Chapter 2 in terms of India’s gross box office collection. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, starring Prabhas, minted Rs 1,200 crore in India, and K.G.F: Chapter 2 grossed Rs 1,000 crore in the country.
According to the report, Pushpa 2: The Rule’s advance bookings have also set a new record, with the movie’s advance bookings standing at Rs 50 crore on Day One. Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan generated Rs 23 crore in advance bookings, while Jawan minted Rs 17 crore.
Overall, the industry expects Singham Again, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and Pushpa 2: The Rule to drive India’s cumulative BO collection past last year’s numbers.
A wildfire
Pushpa 2: The Rule is set to have a gross box-office collection of Rs 1,000 crore globally
> PVR Inox expects the movie to exceed Rs 200 crore on the first weekend
> Miraj Cinema expects the Hindi version to generate Rs 60-65 crore on opening day
> MovieMax Cinemas expects the movie’s Hindi version to generate Rs 600- 800 crore during the weekend
> The sequel’s advance bookings stood at Rs 50 crore on Day One