📌 Key Points
- Yash’s ‘Toxic’ postponed, avoiding clash with ‘Dhurandhar 2’, but ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ takes its place.
- ‘Dhurandhar 2’ shows strong early performance in Telugu states with ₹15 lakh from paid previews.
- US pre-sales favor ‘Dhurandhar 2’ with over $1 million compared to ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’s’ under $100K.
- Trade analysts suggest potential price hikes for ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ could backfire against ‘Dhurandhar 2’.
A Tollywood box office clash is brewing! With ‘Toxic’ out, ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ steps up to compete with Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar 2’. Early trends suggest ‘Dhurandhar 2’ has the upper hand, especially in pre-sales and Telugu state previews.
Unexpected Box Office Face-Off
One mega box office clash was averted this month when Yash’s comeback film, Toxic, postponed its release from March 19 to June 4. It is no longer releasing on the same day as Ranveer Singh ’s heavily-anticipated sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge. However, within hours of Toxic leaving that date, Telugu action thriller Ustaad Bhagat Singh rushed in to take the spot, much to the surprise of many. This has now created a second, albeit smaller box office clash, one limited to the Telugu states. And trade experts feel it is the Telugu film that may end up in the red.
Dhurandhar 2 has started well in the Telugu states already. Just for its paid previews, the film has earned ₹ 15 lakh from 96 shows, selling an average of 65-70 tickets per show. This is a big number for a dubbed release. In the US, Dhurandhar 2 has already grossed over $1 million in pre-sales for its premiere, as compared to under $100K for Ustaad Bhagat Singh.
‘Dhurandhar 2’s Strong Early Performance
What complicates matters is Dhurandhar 2’s increased frenzy in the south. Trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai says, “Dhurandhar was huge in the south. And with dubbed versions, Dhurandhar 2 can increase its reach in the region, even if there is competition from a big local release.” The first Dhurandhar earned just under ₹ 200 crore net from the four south states, without a dubbed version.
Reports say that the makers of Ustaad Bhagat Singh may push for a price hike to even the scales with Dhurandhar 2, but the trade fears this could backfire. “Neutral audience and urban viewers could shift to Dhurandhar 2, which is a proven film, if Ustaad Bhagat Singh prices its tickets too high,” says a trade source.
Pricing Strategy Could Determine Winner
Both films hit the screens on March 19 with paid previews on March 18 evening.
The Telugu film industry faces an interesting box office scenario. While ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ aims to compete, ‘Dhurandhar 2’s’ existing popularity and potential pricing strategies could significantly impact the final outcome.
