Box office prediction: Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra to beat Aamir Khan’s Dangal collection in south India?

There is good news for Bollywood. Director Ayan Mukerji’s latest movie Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva has generated real interest at the box office, not just in the Hindi belt but in parts of south India too. It’s very comforting news to the embattled Hindi film industry.
The Telugu version of Brahmastra got the stamp of approval from director SS Rajamouli, who is India’s first director to deliver back-to-back movies that earned more than Rs 1000 crore globally from ticket sales. And Rajamouli has been promoting Brahmastra as one of his own.
“It doesn’t matter. Rajamouli promoting this film might matter for people outside Telugu states but it will have little effect here,” said Deepak, who manages AndhraBoxOffice.com.
SS Rajamouli is dributing Brahmastra in the south Indian states. And he has been accompanying the film’s cast and crew on the promotional tour, helping them get acquainted with audience members in southern territories.
“Hyderabad is not like Chennai. The city has a very good following for Hindi films. For Telugu audience, it doesn’t matter, who is promoting a film. It doesn’t make any difference. What matters is whether or not the film has caught the interest of the audience,” added Deepak.

And the good news is that Brahmāstra has generated solid interest among the movie-going audience in the Telugu states. It has a good advance booking for a Hindi film in the Telugu states. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 did well in the Telugu states but it’s not a good benchmark to compare the collections of Brahmastra. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had a very moderate start but the last Hindi film to get a terrific opening here was Dhoom 3,” noted Deepak.
Nagarjuna, SS Rajamouli and Ranbir Kapoor during the promotions of Brahmastra. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)
As per some sources in the Telugu film industry, Aamir Khan’s Dhoom 3 made a net collection of Rs 4 crore on its opening day and collected around Rs 20 crore, including the Telugu version, in its entire theatrical run there. Deepak remembered that Dhoom 3’s Telugu version opened to packed houses back then. And like the rest of India, Aamir’s Dangal continues to hold the record of the highest earning Hindi film even in the Telugu states.
“Brahmastra has to overtake the collections of Dangal to be considered a success given its high-production cost. Brahmastra should collect Rs 25 crore in the Telugu states as Dangal had done Rs 22 crore,” Deepak added.

Brahmastra has a huge star cast, including Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna. And it reportedly has a cameo appearance Shah Rukh Khan. This is the biggest Hindi film, in terms of its star value and the production cost (Rs 400 crore), to come out in a long time. And it seems the environment is very conducive to set a new box office benchmark for a Hindi film in the country. The film is releasing on over 5000 screens in India alone.
Brahmastra is also getting a wider release than Laal Singh Chaddha in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. “There is a good expectation (for Brahmastra) but the morning shows are yet to pick up. The advance booking for the afternoon and evening shows is okay. People will go to theatres only after Onam celebrations,” said K Vijayakumar, the president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK).
The movie is releasing on more than 100 screens in Kerala, which is considered the highest number for a Hindi film in recent years. In Tamil Nadu, the movie will open on as many as 250 screens, which is at least 100 screens more than what Laal Singh Chaddha got.
“There is not much anticipation for the film across Tamil Nadu. There seems to be some interest in Chennai city. It’s releasing on around 250 screens. It’s getting a wider release than Laal Singh Chaddha, which was released on around 150 screens. The revenue (of Brahmastra) will depend on the kind of reports the film will generate after the release,” said Tirupur Subramaniam, the President of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association.
Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva is the first film from the trilogy and it’s due to arrive in cinemas on September 9.