Six months after Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan shattered records at the box office, elevating the Hindi film industry after a dull 2022, Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, which releases on Friday, could do an encore.
Advance bookings, demand for tickets and buzz on the ground suggest that the film, made at an estimated Rs 500 crore, could open at over Rs 80 crore for all languages in India, exhibitors and trade analysts told FE.
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Of this, the Hindi version alone could collect up to Rs 30-35 crore on day one, with the Telugu and other languages (Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam) contributing around Rs 50-55 crore. Weekend collections could touch Rs 200 crore based on the response the Prabhas-starrer film gets on day one and curiosity to watch the film on the big screen.
The movie, which is based on the Ramayana, also stars Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan. Directed by Om Raut, who made the Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanaji in 2020, Adipurush will release in 6,200 screens in India. It will also release globally in 70 countries, film trade analysts said.
“The combination of a mythological, popular stars and a larger-than-life cinematic experience has piqued the interest of cine goers,” Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures and president of the Multiplex Association of India, said about Adipurush.
“The post-pandemic movie goers have enjoyed films that provide a big-screen experience. Adipurush has all of this and it will not be surprising if records are rewritten following release in theatres,” he said.
To put things in perspective, Pathaan had opened at Rs 57 crore at the domestic box office, with the Hindi language contributing the lion’s share at Rs 55 crore. This remains the biggest opening to date for a Hindi movie. At the worldwide box office, Pathaan grossed Rs 106 crore in first-day collections, which was also a significant milestone.
Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow, said, “Advance ticket sales of Adipurush have crossed 1.5 million on our platform. While the Telugu version is leading the charts on the platform in terms of ticket sales, Hindi is a close second.”
Also, Saksena says that demand for tickets has come from not only metros, but also smaller towns. The 3D format of the film, in particular, is seeing a significant interest, with over 72% of movie-goers opting for this version, he said.
Taking a leaf out of the Pathaan’s playbook, the makers of Adipurush have not over-exposed the stars of the film prior to release. There have also been no special screenings of the film before release, and the trailer of Adipurush has been well-received, says Komal Nahta, film trade expert.
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“All of this has helped in building curiosity for the film. People want to know what it is all about. This is fueling the interest,” Nahta said.
Ticket prices have also shot through the roof, exhibitors said, with some theatres in Delhi, Mumbai and Noida charging as much as Rs 2,000 per unit in anticipation of a bumper business over the weekend. This trend was visible during Pathaan as well, when tickets prices had increased significantly in some theatres to capitalise on the momentum.
“Prabhas has a mass connect and will pull in the audiences, especially in the south,” Devang Sampat, chief executive officer of multiplex chain Cinepolis, said.
“While the Indian box office after Pathaan has faced some challenges, there have been some positive trends, too, such as The Kerala Story, which was a sleeper hit. Now, you have Adipurush which could give a big boost to the box office,” Sampat said.