Will AVPL's pre-release biz break even?

Tollywood star Allu Arjun is gearing up for the release of the much-hyped Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, slated to arrive on Jan. 12, 2020. The film, helmed by ace filmmaker Trivikram Srinivas, has already become the talk of the town for a variety of reasons, which is an encouraging development. Now, the Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo pre-release business report is out.

According to reports, the film's Andhra Pradesh and Telangana rights are valued at Rs 65.9 crore, which appears to be a recoverable amount.

Bunny's previous release Naa Peru Surya had collected a share of around Rs 40 crore in the Telugu states and failed to break even. The film, which received ordinary reviews, did not quite excite fans as it was helmed by debutant Vakkantham Vamsi as opposed to an established name. This, however, will not be the case with Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo as Trivikram Srinivas is a bonafide star director. Moreover, the Atharintiki Daaredi filmmaker and 'Stylish Star' previously collaborated on the well-received S/O Satyamurthy and Julayi. As such, the film is hot property.

The inside talk seems to be pretty positive as well. The film is reportedly an Allu Arjun showreel and features an emotional storyline tailor-made for the family audience. As such, word of mouth is likely to be positive, which should help it stay strong during the Sankrathi weekend.

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo will, however, face stiff competition from Mahesh Babu's Sarileru Neekevvaru, which hits screens on Jan. 11. The Anil Ravipudi-directed flick is also meant for a family audience, which makes it a bigger threat than expected. Under these circumstances, the fate of the Sankranti battle ultimately depends on whether Allu Arjun is able to win the support of 'Mega' fans.

Chiranjeevi/Ram Charan loyalists were not too happy with the Duvvada Jagannadham hero as he had not taken a keen interest in the promotion of Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. The buzz is they are unlikely to support a non-Mega hero over one belonging to the prestigious clan. All in all, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo seems to be on a safe wicket for now.