Because it is a reworking of the Hindu epic Ramayan, industry analysts think that Om Raut’s mythological play Adipurush will be adored by the audience. Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, and Prabhas play the key parts.
A successful movie does not necessarily have a large budget. Consider the films Zero by Shah Rukh Khan, Tubelight by Salman Khan, Saawariya by Ranbir Kapoor, and Brahmastra by Alia Bhatt. A compelling story, however, is the only thing that increases the likelihood of financial success, especially if it deals with a subject that is dear to the audience. This is certainly what will make Om Raut’s upcoming mythological epic Adipurush have a successful opening weekend at the box office. Trade analysts predict that the picture, which reportedly cost Rs 500 crore, will be well received by viewers primarily because it is a reworking of the Hindu epic Ramayan.
The Telugu actor Prabhas plays King Raghava in the upcoming movie Adipurush, which will be released in theatres on June 16. Raghava battles the wicked Ravana (played by Saif Ali Khan) with the aid of the vanara army in order to rescue his wife Janaki (played by Kriti Sanon) back from Lanka.
Expert in the film industry Taran Adarsh claims that his infatuation with the Ramayan, which he watched on television as a child with his entire family, is the main reason he will be viewing the movie. He is confident that many Indians will watch Adipurush since they share his passion for the Ramayan.
“Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, or Saif Ali Khan are not the most significant things in my opinion. Ramadan is the cause of a very intense emotion for me. Everything else is secondary,” he asserts, acknowledging that many Indian viewers of the movie will identify with his sentiment.
The advance sale for Adipurush began on Sunday. Since then, rumours have circulated that it broke Pathaan’s pre-release booking record. However, Taran denied such claims, claiming that despite the movie selling a respectable amount of tickets, it is not on par with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. “It is unknown what percentage of the tickets were sold organically. It appears to be going to take a solid start right now,” he told indianexpress.com.
However, celebrities have already purchased the majority of the movie’s tickets. Abhishek Agarwal, the director of The Kashmir Files, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ananya Birla each purchased 10,000 tickets to be given to impoverished members of society. Other celebrities are doing the same.
The generation that watched Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan on television, according to Adarsh, will see Adipurush for the nostalgic appeal. Girish Johar, a producer of films and a market analyst, predicts that many parents would bring their children to see the movie in order to teach them about Hindu mythology.
People would bring their children to the movie, according to Johar, because nothing based on the Ramayan has been released in a very long time. Grandparents who raised us in a united family told us this tale in the past. However, today that everyone is a member of a nuclear family, every parent understands the value of sharing the narrative. Therefore, they may go not just for fun but also to teach their children the virtues of mythology. Unless it is very awful, they will devour the movie. It is a larger-than-life spectacular that tells the epic tale that is familiar to every Indian family. Therefore, I am certain that parents will bring their children at least once, which will greatly aid the film.
According to Johar, Adipurush would open to about Rs 50 crore at the box office worldwide. “It is a true pan-Indian picture, with North Indian directors and producers, yet a prominent South Indian star plays the lead. Since Prabhas has a sizable fan base, I predict that the Hindi version of the movie will debut at anywhere between Rs 15 and Rs 18 cr. The movie will have one of the top ten global openings of all time. In all languages, it may definitely reach Rs 50 cr or more, he asserts.
Over one lakh tickets have already been sold through the national movie theatre chain PVR, with 25% of those sales occurring in the southern regions. The pre-bookings of Adipurush, which will be published in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, have got an incredible reaction. With the exception of some places, we have already received over 1 lakh reservations, of which more than 25% came from southern states.
Prabhas clearly has a sizable fan base, as Johar noted. But the poor box office results of his most recent two films have raised questions about his decisions. Radhe Shyam, which was released in 2022, made Rs 19.30 crore in sales. Saaho (2019), which took in Rs 142.95 cr, also fell short at the box office. It reportedly cost 350 crore rupees to produce. Therefore, it is essential for him that Adipurush sees strong theatre attendance.
“Saaho actually didn’t fare well, thus Adipurush’s success is crucial for Prabhas. It got him into that zone, but it only worked in the Hindi circuit. Second, Radhe Shyam was an abject failure. Particularly after reaching such heights with Baahubali and Baahubali 2, you must… Not every movie has to be like that, I’m not saying. Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t have to hit a sixer on each and every ball. When your movie has a $500 million budget, you need to turn in strong statistics, says Taran Adarsh. He needs a major hit.
While acknowledging that Prabhas “has to still cut ice across in the Hindi belt,” Girish Johar also thinks that with the role of Lord Ram, he will be able to penetrate the North Indian hinterlands. He claims that the character he is playing will help him make inroads into the Hindi belt, but he doesn’t forget to add that “then definitely he has to think twice” if this breakthrough doesn’t occur.
Through its distribution, OTT, and satellite rights, Adipurush has partially recouped some of its production costs. The producers have already made Rs 270 crore from the distribution rights, claims trade analyst Ramesh Bala. According to a report, the film’s OTT and satellite rights were acquired for a staggering Rs 210 crore. It is yet unknown how much money will be made from ticket sales.
