This weekend looks promising for Bollywood as Samrat Prithviraj is set to release. Starring Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chillar in the lead, the big-budget YRF film has generated a good buzz. While high expectations are pinned to the period drama, the film releases alongside the Telugu film Major and the Tamil film Vikram. Major stars Adivi Sesh in the lead while Vikram brings Kamal Haasan back to the big screen after a long time. All three films are tracking fairly decent at the box office, as of Thursday night.
Producer and film business expert Girish Johar notes that Samrat Prithviraj could safely open between Rs 8 and 10 crores. “Keeping the cost and buzz in mind, if the film does anything between Rs 8 to Rs 10 cr. If the word of mouth is good, it could go higher. It is a decent start,” he tells News18.com.
Trade analyst Atul Mohan adds that the Akshay Kumar starrer could touch Rs 15 crore considering the buzz. He notes that Amit Shah’s raving review and states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand announcing the film as tax-free have given the film a good push. “As of Thursday night, after Amit Shah’s good review and a few states already declaring it tax-free, the film is now tracking a Rs 15 crore opening,” he says.
The film releases on 3550 screens in Hindi while Tamil and Telugu versions are releasing on 200 screens. Internationally, the film releases on 1200 screens, Mohan reveals.
While all eyes will be on Samrat Prithviraj, Mohan also adds that Major could also do good business at the Hindi box office. “Major could open around Rs 3 to Rs 4 crores in Hindi alone,” he adds. Trade expert Ramesh Bala says that the Telugu movie is likely to open to Rs 15 crore in the South.
Bala also opens up about Vikram’s box office opening expectations. “The buzz is big in Tamil Nadu because Kamal is coming back after a long time. The advance booking is good. The film could do business of Rs 35 crores to 40 crores gross in the South states with Tamil Nadu taking the lead. Tamil Nadu could collect about Rs 20 crores,” he says.
“Vikram won’t face any competition in Tamil Nadu but in Telugu states, it could face competition from Major. The Telugu film is likely to collect Rs 15 crore,” he adds.
