As the stage is set for a worldwide release in over 10,000 theatres on December 5, Pushpa-The Rule, a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa - The Rise has generated huge hype across the country and in the Indian diaspora regions across the world. Mythri Moviemakers, which is producing the Pushpa franchise, are gunning for a ₹1,000-crore revenue for the film, breaking the records set by Bahubali, Kalki and Animal.

Entertainment industry analysts expect the film to rake in ₹500 crore in the Hindi version alone as it hits 4,500 screens in the North, boosting the occupancy level up by at least 40 per cent in December and 30 per cent in the third quarter. They pegged the day 1 collection at ₹200 crore, including ₹100 crore from the two Telugu States. 

The fact that advanced bookings on various ticket booking platforms crossed the ₹100-crore mark shows the level of anticipation among filmgoers. The advance bookings include ₹50 crore for day 1, overtaking the previous records of Bahubali (₹45 crore), Pathan (₹23 crore), and Jawan (₹17 crore).

Mythri Moviemakers, who tasted an unexpected success for the film three years ago, particularly in the Hindi belt, kicked off the promotions in November by organising a huge pre-release event at Patna, which turned out to be one of the biggest pre-release events in the country, with Allu Arjun, who donned the role of a red sandal smuggler, leading the charge of promotions.

The crew continued the streak by organising similar events in key markets like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Karan Taurani, an analyst with Elara Securities, pegged the gross box office (GBOC) collections for the Hindi version at ₹500 crore, helping the Hindi gross box office collection to grow by 33 per cent in the third quarter (as against the previous quarter) to ₹1,700 crore. 

“With strong franchise recall, Pushpa 2 may break records and fetch lifetime India GBOC of ₹1,000 crore, while Hindi GBOC could breach the ₹500-crore mark. This may also break the record of India GBOC of ₹1,200 crore and ₹1,000 crore of Bahubali 2.

Footfall recovery

Karan observed that footfall in theatres across the country saw a recovery during the Diwali month (November) with an occupancy level of about 25-27 per cent, although it fell below 20 per cent in October as most content scheduled for release was during November-December. The spend per head (SPH) has grown 5 per cent year-on-year to date whereas the average ticket price has been flat and slightly lower due to the absence of Hollywood films and promotional offers.

Ticket price debate

Even though the film generated huge hype and anticipation, it also triggered a debate around the huge hike in ticket prices for the premier shows and during the early days of the screening. Allu Arjun posted a note on X thanking the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments for allowing the makers to increase the prices.

“Are they (the makers) trying to kill a golden goose,” a film critic commented on his Facebook wall. Several other cinemagoers too posted similar posts criticising the makers for making the ticket prices unaffordable.

“It is like a gamble for them. They want to cash in on the hype. Even if the film doesn’t meet the expectations, they will still make the money,” another film critic said.

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