 "Pushpa 2 to become India's fastest film to gross Rs 1,000 cr at box office")
Pushpa 2: The Rule has theatres across the country bursting at the seams, with analysts estimating that the Allu Arjun starrer is on track to become the fastest film to cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark.
This blockbuster success comes as a much-needed relief for the film industry, which had been grappling with declining box office (BO) performance and lower footfalls in cinemas post-Covid.
“The film is expected to reach Rs 800 crore in India across all languages by the fourth day of its release,” said movie trade analyst Girish Wankhede.
A few Indian films have entered the Rs 1,000 crore club, includingDangal (directed by Nitesh Tiwari), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (directed by S S Rajamouli), and the most recent, Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas.
Pushpa 2: The Rule has already crossed Rs 600 crore domestically, with Saturday recording its highest BO collection. Wankhede predicted Sunday could become the biggest day in the history of Indian cinema. Globally, the Sukumar Bandreddi-directed film is expected to reach a BO collection of Rs 950 crore by the end of the weekend. The three hours and 20 minutes long film, however, saw a 15 per cent drop in its BO collection on the second day.
Before its release, trade analysts anticipated it would mint Rs 1,000 crore in India alone, given its brand recall value and the high demand for advance bookings.
According to film trade analyst Komal Nahta, the movie’s collections are now the highest at the Indian BO. The Hindi-language version alone recorded a weekend collection of around Rs 250 crore.
The film, which follows the story of Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) running a smuggler of red sandalwood, has also revived multiplex chains by drawing record-breaking footfalls.
“Pushpa 2: The Rule delivered a record-breaking opening at Cinepolis India, both in terms of box office collections and admissions,” said Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinepolis India.
“Despite the opening day being a weekday, theatres across the country, not just in South India, saw housefull shows,” Sampat added.
Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Bhopal, Patna, and Jaipur are some of the cities that had housefull shows for Cinepolis India.
On its opening day, the film earned Rs 9.6 crore in box office revenue and recorded 220,000 admissions at Cinepolis alone, setting new records, Sampat said.
For PVR INOX, India’s largest cinema exhibitor, the movie has set a benchmark in 2024, recording the highest single-day admissions of the year and surpassing 4 million admissions over its opening weekend since Thursday.
“The film is projected to cross an impressive 7 million admissions by the end of its first week, solidifying its position as a mega blockbuster,” said Gautam Dutta, chief operating officer, revenue and operations at PVR INOX.
Wankhede said the movie’s success would help set the tone for upcoming movies being released in December.
“This year was anyway bad compared to last year. So, it will partially help the Indian BO collection (for 2024). The best part is it will give rise to a positive sentiment that will help Mufasa: The Lion King (releasing on December 20) and then Baby John,” Wankhede said.
Wankhede said people coming back to cinemas was what the industry needed. The strong momentum created by Pushpa 2 would carry forward, he said.