High hopes on Adipurush

Now, all big banner films want a pan India audience and crores of rupees are being spent on publicising the film. Actor Prabhas is a big star but his last few films failed. A lot is riding on his latest film Adipurush, which is set to release this Friday, June 16.

The hype created...

Everyday, across all platforms, information is put out about the film.

1) Massive fan rush for #Adipurush advance bookings, anticipating a bumper box office opening, as people arrive in hundreds and form queues outside theaters in cities like Kolkata, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Pune, Aurangabad and Haryana, fans eagerly wait to book their tickets!

2) Film sells over 36,000 tickets in pre-sales — if the ticket booking speed continues like this, it could be in contention to record one of the highest advance bookings for a feature film in Hindi in the post-pandemic world.
The Prabhas starrer earned Rs 1.40 crores from the Hindi version alone.

3) Ranbir Kapoor buys 10,000 tickets for underprivileged children. Next we hear singer Ananya Birla has bought 10,000 tickets of the film to be distributed among children. Rumour is from the Telugu industry Ram Charan may be roped in to sponsor another 10,000 tickets. Manoj Manchu reportedly bought 2500 tickets.

4) One seat in every theatre will be reserved for Lord Hanuman!

5) Another review says “fantastic film... will it be another Bahubali for Darling (Prabhas)?

6) As the release date nears, we will keep hearing more such stories that make the film appear to be a smashing hit as people are waiting to watch it!
Will all this hype really help Adipurush do well?

Experts explain:

‘Public is the final voice to make any film successful’

Manoj Desai, Executive Director of G -7 multiplex Maratha Mandir Cinema

The have opened the tickets booking window for multiplexes from Sunday itself and they have asked us to open tickets window of our single theatres only on Wednesday. I don’t understand this policy — whether the audiences will buy multiplex tickets worth Rs 1000 or they would prefer buying tickets from single screen theatres which is very low? All these things are manipulated but we cannot question these wrong doings.

We will have to wait and watch if the initial buzz is working or not, kyunki abhi tak hamare single theatre se koi bhi tickets  khareedne nahi aaya hai. Public is the final voice to make any film successful. I feel if the rates of the tickets are low everyone will throng to theatres. I know that lower middle class and upper middle class — the hardcore cinema goer — prefer watching films in my theatre because of the low ticket rate. Our single theatres rates are Rs 130/ and Rs 150/.
We have been asked to open ticket windows on Wednesday. This is the problem for single screen owners; they are bound by all such things. The producers have given advantage to multiplexes which they are enjoying as they have got green signal to open ticket windows from Sunday”.

‘Buying tickets in bulk before release! Consider this a propaganda film’

Narendera Gupta, Critic/Analyst Film City

If the film is really a huge hit and after that they were distributing/buying tickets in bulk for the underprivileged kids then we could understand that film is really good and so they are distributing it for free. But even before ten days of its actual release they are buying tickets in bulk, so we can consider this as a propaganda film. Now only three celebrities have distributed – Ranbir Kapoor, Abhisekh Kapoor and later Ram Charan is also said to be joining the bandwagon. We will see many more NGO’s joining later on.

A simple example: 7:30 pm show in City Mall Andheri West has been booked 100%.This is block booking done by someone. Right next is Infinity Mall and not 2 tickets have been sold out in this theatre. Truly speaking, heavy bookings are being done by corporate bookings. No individual viewer has come forward to book at the window. This is a game. The makers are forcibly pushing the film to be declared a hit. Even if the film makes '200-300 crs, it wont work. It has to do business worth '500 cr+ like the film, Pathaan. Only then can this film fall in the hit category.

‘I am positive about this film’

Bharthi S Pradhan, Columnist, Critic & Author

As far as the film is concerned I have high hopes for only one reason because I had liked Om Raut’s work in Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior. I would like to keep my mind open and I’m sure I will be watching a big spectacle. I don’t think he can go wrong but let’s wait and watch. I have a very positive approach to it. I think if they get it right, it will be a huge step forward in terms of technical progress, in terms of storytelling and getting mythology out there for the world to see. If this film succeeds, it will be big on all fronts for us. The story we already know, so it’s not about the story. It’s about the story telling.

Yes audiences are the deciding factor. If the tickets are being bought in one theatre in bulk and there is no buzz about audiences buying tickets elsewhere, I feel maybe the audiences are waiting to buy the tickets after the initial box office reports. The Kerala Story didn’t open well initially but people waited to catch it and then they started patronising in big numbers later on. The big numbers will definitely come if the film is good. Honestly if the film is gripping and the narration is correct and the story telling is correct, the audiences will come and start buying their own tickets.