JOIN USVakeel Saab pre-release business: How much does the Pawan Kalyan-starrer need to collect to be a hit?
Actor Pawan Kalyan's upcoming movie Vakeel Saab, which is slated to release in theatres tomorrow (April 9), needs to collect a share of Rs 90 crore at the worldwide box office to be considered a 'clean hit'. The film's pre-release business stands at Rs 89.35 crore. Its Andhra Pradesh and Telangana rights were sold for Rs 80.35 crore, which means it needs to rake in nearly Rs 81 crore in the Telugu states to emerge as a success.
The film has failed to beat Pawan Kalyan's previous movie Agnyaathavaasi as far as the pre-release business is concerned. The Trivikram Srinivas-helmed movie's rights were valued at Rs 160 crore, which made it a more high-profile affair than Prabhas' pan-India movie Baahubali. This, however, is not too surprising as Vakeel Saab is a message-oriented drama as opposed to a mass entertainer. The female protagonists, and not Pawan Kalyan, are expected to be the focal point of several scenes as the film essentially revolves around women empowerment while highlighting the importance of consent.
Also read: Five Pawan Kalyan movies to watch before 'Vakeel Saab'
Vakeel Saab's pre-release revenue may also have been affected by the lukewarm response to Agnyaathavaasi. Guruji's film opened to a good response at the box office before crashing due to the negative word of mouth. The film's similarities with the French movie Largo Winch too affected its prospects.
Vakeel Saab, meanwhile, is expected to set the box office on fire as the advance bookings are as impressive as anything can be. The film might stay strong over the first weekend if the word of mouth is healthy. Its performance may be affected by the spike in Covid-19 cases in the Telugu states and Karnataka.
Vakeel Saab is a remake of the Hindi movie and has been produced by Dil Raju and Boney Kapoor. It has a strong cast that includes Nivetha Thomas, Shruti Haasan, Anjali and Prakash Raj.