Will RRR’s Hindi version BREAK the Rs. 510.99 crore record of Baahubali 2 - The Conclusion? Here’s what trade experts have to say

The much awaited film, RRR, is all set to release on March 25 and the excitement is already in the air. It is directed by S S Rajamouli, who directed the much loved Baahubali series. The second part, Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion (2017) collected a huge Rs. 510.99 crore in Hindi, a record that stands even today. The theatrical trailer has caught the attention and enhanced the hype for the film. Moreover, the presence of Hindi stars like Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt have added to the excitement and brand value.

Bollywood Hungama decided to speak to the trade experts to find out what do they have to say about the business prospects of RRR’s Hindi version. The advance booking has not been very encouraging till now and yet; all three trade experts feel that a huge opening can’t be ruled out.

Huge opening despite underwhelming advance?
Regarding the opening day, trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, “Yes, the advances are slow but I genuinely feel that it might just pick up with spot booking on Friday. S S Rajamouli is a brand. Today is Wednesday. Wednesday is when the momentum begins.”

Trade expert Komal Nahta also said, “You can’t guess because the advance booking is hardly any indication.” He added, “I think it’ll take a good opening.”

Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor and distributor, in agreement, said, “The advance booking may not be much of an indicator. If you look at it, for many successful films, it’s the current bookings that have made the difference and taken them to great statures. Underestimating the opening of a film like RRR would be a gross mistake because here’s a filmmaker, who time and again, without any exception, has proved himself in a setup that is as massively spectacular as it gets for Indian films. So I am pretty hopeful that RRR would do extremely fantastic business.”

Will The Kashmir Files wave affect RRR?
The Kashmir Files, which was released on March 11, has emerged as a surprise blockbuster and is already a Rs. 200 crore grosser. While it’s a given that RRR will affect The Kashmir Files at the box office, is a vice versa situation also possible? Taran Adarsh replied, “You never know. It all depends on the merits of RRR and how the audiences are willing to accept it. But from the face of it, S S Rajamouli always makes films keeping the audience in mind. So, I don’t think it should backfire.”

Akshaye Rathi stated, “I don’t think so. Much like other films that continued to play while The Kashmir Files was in cinemas, even RRR and The Kashmir Files will continue to co-exist. And along with that, so will Attack and other films that come in the subsequent weeks.”

High ticket prices: Boon or bane?
Ever since the advance booking of RRR has commenced, its inflated ticket prices have become a talking point. A small section of moviegoers and industry fear that viewers might not venture to see the film if the ticket rates are so high.

On this, Taran Adarsh said, “I’d like to add two things here. It all depends on demand and supply. If there’s a demand for a film, the distributors and the exhibitors tend to increase the ticket prices. This is not the first time that this has happened. In the recent past, it was for Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) during which the tickets were priced as high as Rs. 1000 and yet, people were buying them. There was a mad rush to acquire the tickets. People don’t mind shelling out money if they feel that the film is worth it. In this case, it’s a film by S S Rajamouli, the biggest brand as far as the directors are concerned. Moreover, it’s a big film and riding on a huge budget. So, if the distributors and the exhibitors decide to price the tickets at a certain range, it’s their call.”

Taran Adarsh continued, “The second part is whether the film is worth it or not. There are two aspects to it. Firstly, it depends on whether the audiences want to pay a steep price. And secondly, if the merits of the film demand that kind of ticket prices.”

Komal Nahta explained, “I think the biggest star over here is S S Rajamouli. The other actors are not huge stars in the Hindi belt. So, the big one is Rajamouli and the makers are trying to encash on his name, which is not wrong. Everything depends on the current bookings because the advances are good and nothing great. For a usual Hindi film featuring a Bollywood hero, we usually gauge through the advance booking which is the right barometer. However, in the case of RRR, since Jr NTR and Ram Charan are not Hindi film stars, there’s not much of advance booking. But you never know, the plans might fill very fast in the current booking.”

Akshaye Rathi, meanwhile, stated, “Much like programming and showcasing of films, even the pricing depends on the law of demand and supply. A film like RRR has the premium value where even if the prices are hiked slightly, it’ll still continue to be value for money for the patrons. So, I really hope that people find the movie and the experience of going to watch RRR worth the price that they paying for. Having said that, there are many cinemas which are offering tickets at a fairly reasonable cost. I truly hope that every kind of cinema, be it single screen or multiplexes, in urban and rural areas, get great footfalls for this movie at different price points.”

Will RRR break Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion’s record?
As mentioned above, Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion earned Rs. 510.99 crores. If all goes well and RRR gets accepted by the moviegoers, will it be able to cross the collections of Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion? Or will Covid play spoilsport? Komal Nahta stated, “I think anything is possible. We have to forget Covid now! The Kashmir Files ran house full in almost all shows. Where was the Covid fear then? If the film has merits, then anything is possible. The sky is the limit.”

Taran Adarsh emphasized, “Audiences always surprise you. When we saw The Kashmir Files, did we ever think that this film will cross the Rs. 200 crore mark? Even the producers must have not expected it. Any producer would want that meri picture chal jaaye. And by chaal jaaye, he means that he’s able to recover the money, make some profit and ensure that his distributors also make money. This is one industry where no one can predict. We are all dependent on Friday. Wohi Friday aapko aasmaan pe bithata hai aur wohi Friday aapko zameen pe girata hai.”

He signed off by saying, “Coming back to your question, when Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion released, did anyone expect it’ll do a business of Rs. 510 crores? When 3 Idiots (2009) was released, did anyone predict that it’ll go past the Rs. 200 crore mark? So let’s wait and watch. Content agar accha hoga aur agar picture pasand aa gayi, then anything can happen. Down South though, all records will be shattered.”

Also Read: SS Rajamouli discloses what he learned from Aamir Khan’s Lagaan