Rajini's 'Darbar' Telugu pre-release biz a big risk?

Rajinikanth, the resident 'Boss' of Tamil cinema, is gearing up for the release of the Pongal/Sankranti biggie Darbar, slated to hit screens on Jan. 9, 2020. Now, here is a major update about the AR Murugadoss-helmed actioner. The film's pre-release business report for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is out. According to various websites, Darbar's theatrical rights are valued at Rs 14.20 crore, which means it needs to collect a share of Rs 15 crore to be considered a 'clean hit'.

Interestingly, barring 2.0, none of Rajinikanth's recent releases have made any impact in the Telugu states with Kaala and Petta collecting a combined share of around Rs 13 crore. Moreover, Mahesh Babu's Sarileru Neekevvaru and the Allu Arjun starrer Ala Vaikunthapurramloo are likely to hit theatres merely days after the Lyca Productions-backed flick and this might affect its prospects big time. As such, Darbar is a risky affair for most distributors

Either way, Darbar has piqued the curiosity as it is Rajinikanth's first cop drama in nearly 25 years. Actress Nayanthara is paired opposite 'Superstar' in the movie. Bollywood stars Sunil Shetty and Prateik Babbar too are a part of the cast.

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth has already turned his attention to Thalaivar 168, marking his first collaboration with mass director Siruthai Siva. The flick features noted actresses Meena and Khushboo as the leading ladies. Mahanati fame Keerthy Suresh too is a part of the rural-drama.