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Star cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagadeesh Pratap Bhandari, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj and others.
Director: Sukumar
Producers: Naveen Yerneni and Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar
Pushpa 2 Box Office Review (Hindi): Pre-Release Buzz & Expectations
Just like Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) hears the sound of “Pushpa, Pushpa, Pushpa… Pushpa” in his mind, it was all “Pushpa, Pushpa… Pushpa” in the last few weeks. Possibly the biggest sequel in the history of Indian cinema had us all waiting with bated breath. Part one was sheer madness, and the way it ended with a face-off between Pushpa (Allu Arjun) and Shekhawat, everyone was excited to their core to catch the battle in part two. The film had been in the buzz ever since it went on floors, and it was written that whenever it arrived in theatres, it would create a box office tornado.
The way sequels or franchise films are faring, especially in the post-pandemic era, it was a no-brainer that Pushpa 2 would shatter records. Considering the true pan-India appeal and potential to go full throttle in mass centers, the film was definitely a hot product. Yes, back-to-back delays were a matter of concern, but the makers were smart enough and didn’t let the buzz die. The classic example of hype getting killed due to continuous delays and postponements is Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2. The film was backed by a highly popular IP, but by the time it was ready for release, the audience didn’t give it a dekko. In the case of the Pushpa sequel, the makers kept teasing the audience by sharing promotional material from time to time.
In terms of promotions, Pushpa 2 successfully created awareness about its release, and for that, the makers deserve full marks. Marketing and promotions were done aggressively. Yes, the trailer and songs weren’t up to the mark, but all such flaws were covered by the organic buzz on the ground level. Other than aggressive marketing, the film managed to build a strong and positive perception of itself due to its advance booking trends.
Advance booking in the overseas centers was opened almost a month ago, and tickets were sold like hotcakes. This helped create hype in India. The halo effect was seen in India, and pre-sales kept growing. All this made Pushpa 2 an event with an all-time blockbuster tag guaranteed. The film put itself in a position where 400 crores or 500 crores looked like a done deal, and how far from there it would go became the real question.
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Pushpa 2 Box Office Review (Hindi): Initial Start, Positives & Negatives
The strong advance booking of more than 35 crores for the Hindi version made it clear that Pushpa 2 was going to create havoc at the Indian box office, and that’s what exactly happened. As we covered in the morning occupancy report, it started on a superb note, with occupancy in the 50-52% range throughout the country. It has been learned that occupancy picked up considerably in afternoon and evening shows. Even night shows are going strong, with midnight shows being added at several locations. This keeps the film on track to challenge the biggest Hindi opening of all time (Jawan’s 65.50 crores).
Talking about the positives, Pushpa 2: The Rule has received mostly favorable reactions from the audiences, especially in the tier 2 and tier 3 centers. For those who don’t know, these centers were the key players in making Pushpa: The Rise a big hit in the long run, and even this time, they’ll play an important role once the initial rush of the film settles down. Also, markets like Maharashtra and Gujarat, which performed brilliantly for part one, have started on a humongous note. Apart from making such markets active again, the film aims to score big in the Hindi heartland. Even in the interiors, the film will enjoy a long run.
Just like part one, the sequel also has a repeat value, and despite a long runtime, it’ll enjoy a good chunk of repeat audience. Another benefit is that the film has no major competition in front of it for the first 20 days. The first big Hindi film is Varun Dhawan’s Baby John, which will be released on December 25. So, there’s plenty of room to score monstrous numbers. Even after Baby John and other releases, the Pushpa sequel will keep running for weeks, enjoying its share of the audience.
Now, coming to the negatives, Pushpa’s characterization and the overall theme of the film might not appeal to the audience based in the big urban pockets. The length of the film is almost three and a half hours, which might be too much to handle for many. It’s a quintessential mass entertainer, and that might not attract a section of the audience in tier 1 cities.
Pushpa 2 Box Office Review (Hindi): Final Verdict
On the whole, Pushpa 2 has fewer things working against it and more things working in favor. The hype of the film itself will take it through major milestones, and thereafter, the support from the mass audience will help it secure an all-time blockbuster verdict. In the 4-day extended opening weekend itself, the film aims to score above 250 crores, and the 8-day opening week is expected to be between 360-380 crores. Considering all this, the Allu Arjun starrer is looking to score a gigantic 610-630 crore net at the Indian box office in the lifetime run, making it the second Hindi film to enter the 600 crore club after Stree 2. Will it beat Stree 2’s 627.50 crores? Well, it’s very much possible!
So, at ticket windows, we’ll be hearing the scream of Allu Arjun’s Pushpa: “Pushpa ka usul, karneka 600 crore vasool!”
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates!
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