Bahubaali 2 still ahead of KGF 2 and RRR in terms of footfalls

Bahubaali 2 is still ahead of KGF 2 and RRR in terms of viewership or otherwise known as footfalls in theaters, says a trade analyst . Though the box office figures are quoted to show that KGF 2 outstripped BB2 , truth lies somewhere in between.

As we have to take into consideration the entrance ticket price hike after BB2 released in April 2017,  the box office figures of KGF 2 and RRR cannot be a barometer for a comparison. As per a study done BB2 footfall was 5.1 crore and at the time of writing , the KGF 2 was 1.75 crore and RRR was  1.6 crore.

To set record straight, all those who claim that KGF and RRR have even beaten Top Hindi films . Here is a numbers - Bajraang Baijaan - 3.2 crores and Dangal -  3.1 crores footfalls. In short, KGF 2 and RRR claim that their film was seen by more people than the two Hindi films and BB 2 is a lopsided way of looking at it. BB2 completed the total run with a Rs 510 crore nett. As on date , RRR nett World wide is Rs 600.14 crore. KGF 2 is still running.

US markets have not favoured KGF 2 like it did for RRR.  KGF 2 took a $ 4.15 million first week and slumped to $93K . RRR on the other hand did not open as big as KGF 2 but second week and third week collections was five time more than KGF. BB2 gross in USA was $12.5 million. Here again one reason given is that premiere shows were less for RRR and KGF 2 but with the cost of ticket  high , patronage post Covid in the US market was restricted and audience choosy.  KGF 2 slump is said to be because the film is a Kannada film dubbed into Tamil and Telugu languages and so the Tamilans and Andhra / TS origin people patronage was less than that to RRR . For footfalls for BB2 being higher than RRR in USA, reason is that BB2 was a sequel and over time and streaming of Part 1 on TV, audience grew manifold. So is KGF 2 a sequel, but why this did not happen ?. Answer is that  KGF  did not pose an interesting question - Why did Kattappa kill Baahubaali ?

Meanwhile , Chiranjeevi- Ram Charan Acharya bookings for USA premiere opened and in 623 shows pre sales was $ 287,778 . Not a bad start feels trade. CM Jagan has allowed theaters to up ticket rates in opening week in Andhra and also a 5th show can be screened.

KGF 2 review: Here is the real Beast- Stay after end credits

 KGF2 is much better and bigger sequel than one thought would be. Those who hated first part or did not see it as it did not suit their sensibilities, stay away from KGF 2. If you are first timer to KGF franchise, the film will not bore you as the visuals, dialogues. sounds and screen presence of Yash will keep you engaged- only that you might be wondering why the guy next is getting goosebumps at every turn of events, Reason is that he has seen part one and is relating to it. You are not.

First part to me looked quite slow in establishing the hero and the bad world of KGF. Here , it just kicks off at jet speed. A honest PM, scheming corporate and a bad guy who wants to be in Rocky Bhai shoes. In short a Prashanth Neel film. Prabhas and Salaar are in for good opening. Strangely, this film if titled KGF 2 The Beast , nobody would have complained. Sanju Baba ( Sanjay Dutt) gets an intro that is MASS and you sit back with the feeling that at last a tough opponent. Here you are disappointed. It looks like Sanju's Covid infection disrupted the script. Also Raveena Tandom does not jell - she looks like an extra fitting.

AP CM Jagan to grant ticket hike for KGF2 ? - Beast Hindi for Rs 4 crores

The biggest expectation from Tollywood film trade is that Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan will grant permission for KGF 2 makers ( distributors) to make a hike of Rs 50 per ticket in the State.Exhibitors are told to not open advance booking counters as the order from CM office is expected any time. KGF producers produced recods to show that certain portions of the film were shot in coastal Andhra regions and hence sought permission to hike the ticket price. KGF producers who are also producer of Prabhas `Salaar' will put a trailor with KGF 2 as bonus and also draw Prabhas fans. Nizam area has gone for a record price of Rs 70 crores as per trade sources. This amount for a non Telugu hero film is given on the assurance that the area collections will be safe guarded in case of a shortfall by `Salaar' film collections. Including coastal areas Andhra alone is done a Rs 100 crores business, The Hindi advance booking shows that the film will get a Rs 40 + crore net collections on Day one. The earlier goral post was RRR opening but now it has shifted to Baahubali 2 opening from today. Beast the Vijay film dubbed in Hindi is sold for Rs 4 crores. This is a reasonable amount and can be easily got feels trade. The whole weekend being a oliday starting with Ambedkar Jayanti and Easter holidays, the film will collect as the songs have reaced widely and if the content is great, it might be a slow sleeper hit. KGF 2 distributors are Hombale Films Through KRG Studios and Jayanna Films (Kannada) Excel Entertainment & AA Films (Hindi) Varahi Chalana Chitram (Telugu) Dream Warrior Pictures (Tamil) Prithviraj Productions (Malayalam)

Thalapathy Vijay v/s KGF 2 in April

 Thalapathy's Vijay  Beast, Ajith's Valimai, Simbhu's ‘Vendhu Thanidhathu Kaadu’ are three blockbusters that are confirmed to come in April and so also KGF 2. With producers not willing to back out, Pan Indian film like KGF 2  will have to literally wash their hands off Tamil Nadu, feels trade.

Sun Pictures with Beast, Madurai Anbu- Boney Kapoor's Valimai and Dr Ishari Ganesh's VTK are three big production- distribution houses in Kllywood. Already, trade had agreed that three weeks from date of release , Valimai will be given more than 60 % screens. At that time it was RRR that was a competitor. Now Sun Pictures has made it amply clear that it will release Beast on April 14 and it seems Actor Vijay too has made it clear that there should be no going back on it. KGF being an All India release too cannot back out.

Trade can juggle with Valimai and VTK release dates to give each at least two weeks between Beast. But RRR and KGF 2 ?. Here again, RRR will stick to March 18 Friday release as on April 14th, Bollywood has Aamir Khan's Lal Chaddha coming. Given this scenario, Radhe Shyam is stuck and might move to OTT.

Given this scenario, Gautham Menon film Joshua with new face Varun and produced by Dr Ganesh ( hero happens to be producer's nephew and his debut) as well as Sani Kayidhidam starring director Selvaraghavan and directed by Arun ( Rocky fame) are to release on OTT. In February itself, Sun Pictures is coming with Etharkkum Thunindhavan  starring Suriya. After Jai Bhim, Suriya has got a good reach all over India, This could see it's Hindi release too.

Post Covid 2 - Theaters v/s Producers clash in TN- AP

 

As curbs ease, theaters and film producers all over the South ( except Kerala) are headed for a showdown. Telangana Film  Chamber has asked members to wait till October and desist from releasing films on OTT. Tamil Nadu exhibitors have refused to pay any minimum guarantee amount for any film. In Kerala the situation is the same and only those producers who can release on their own and pass on higher share of the earnings have come forward while others are moving towards OTT. The Kannada exhibitor sector which depends largely on Hindi- non Kannada films for survival have a different economics altogether.

Sivakarthikeyan starrer Doctor which is the only big ticket movie that is ready for release is yet to confirm a release date. The reason being that no distributor is able to get any advance from theaters. Exhibitors say that they have no cash to offer or take a risk. Even Arun Vijay’s Border is facing the same problem. Doctor is directed  by Nelson whose film  was the Nayanthara-starrer Kolamaavu Kokila. Nelson  is currently directing Vijay's Thalapathy 65, which is produced by Sun Pictures.

 The last time, TN exhibitors made money was the release of Vijay starrer `Master’ and followed by Dhanush Karnan and Karthi’s Sulthan. Producers feel that a lesser profit margin from OTT is better than taking a full risk with theatres. If a film gets released on big screen, the OTT – Satellite rates will fall.

In  Hyderabad , film producers Suresh Babu ( Venkatesh- Rana clan) and Allu Aravind ( Chiru family) have veered to selling films to OTT. Venkatesh film Narappa, Drishyam 2 and Most Eligible Bachelor and 18 Pages from Allu Aravind is headed for OTT. Nithin’s Maestro, Sundeep Kishan’s Gully Rowdy and Vishwak Sen’s Paagal are moving towards OTT.

Suresh Babu who controls a vast chunk of movie halls in AP/ TS is facing flak as an exhibitor since  he himself is ditching the exhibition sector. Allu Aravind who runs aha OTT too is ditching theatre sector for immediate gains.

Unlike in Kerala ,where all sectors joined hands to give films releasing post Covid 2  an uninterrupted run, Distributors in AP/ TS who have bought Kannada film KGF 2 ( dubbed in Telugu) are fighting for theatres to release on the same day as that of Balakrishna’s  Akhanda.

Karnataka exhibitor lobby is controlled by Puneet Rajkumar and family. The hard truth is that except for a few Kannada actors, the crowd pullers still are the Bollywood heroes and followed by Tamil- Telugu Stars. Bollywood is grappling with the multiplex - OTT release issue.  The multiplexes are  asking for a longer gap between theatre   and OTT release.