RRR postponement fall out - Will Valimai fill the vacuum ?

 

RRR postponement  news has created  many repercussions in the trade especially in South India.  In USA, thousands of tickets sold has to be refunded. Producers of Telugu films who shifted their releases due to request from RRR producer and director feel that they were left and high and dry and are now scrambling to fill the vacuum. All eyes are on Madurai Anbu as to whether he would advance the release date and fill it with Valimai on Jan 7th.

Close to Rs 20 crores was spent on promotions in all South States and Mumbai. This is a washout. Distributors who bought the film in the South are unhappy as the decision was taken after listening to North distributor Gada. They feel that with 50% occupancy they could have recovered the money within a week ( Jan 7- Jan 13) after which Ajith's Valimai is released. In TamilNadu there is no strict compliance of 50 % slab in single screens a majority in the State.

AP Government allowed theaters that were closed to reopen with certain riders. Telangana had permitted hike in ticket rates. Producers of Telugu films Bheemla Nayak to F3 and Sarkaru Vaari Paata which has only AP./ TS markets  as primary source of income feel that they should not have backed out. Now efforts are on to see if any one of these can come on Jan 7. Two of these films have pending work and did not complete it as release was postponed. If none of these comes, Bangarraju of Nagarjuna- Nag Chaitanya is ready to hit the theaters. It would be a big let down for Telugu film trade this Sankaranthi.. No news has come from radhe Shyam producers yet. It is to open in South and North markets on Jan 14th.

Due to massive expectation for RRR in USA markets, other regions with Indian population , ticket sales has touched $3 million and still is going on. Two type of prints for USA was planned.- one the usual Dolby version and another for select theaters using  a different equipment to screen. Sarigama Cinemas and Raftar Creations are releasing the movie in the United States. The bookings in the United States will begin from December 17th, three weeks before the release of the film. They had booked the advertising space at the famous Times Square in New York City from December 17th to 23rd to extensively promote the film. This is the first time a Telugu movie was advertised at the Times Square for so long. US distributors might have to refund close to Rs 10 crores, says a distributor.