Hi movie lovers, are you ready? Our Allu Arjun Pushpa 2: The Rule is shaking the box office even before it hits the theaters! Releasing on December 5, 2024, the pre-release business of this movie has crossed ₹1085 crores, creating a record in the history of Indian cinema. When I read this news with friends in Hyderabad, I was shocked and said, “Wow, the movie has crossed ₹1000 crores even before its release!” After the sensational Pushpa: The Rise (2021), why has this sequel created so much hype? Business breakdown, why is this a big deal for Telugu cinema? Let me tell you in this article.
₹1085 crore business: How is it possible?
Pushpa 2: The Rule pre-release business is an all-time record in Indian cinema. The film touched this huge figure with theatrical (cinema rights) and non-theatrical (OTT, satellite, music rights) deals. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings, the budget of this film is estimated to be ₹500 crore. That is, it has made a profit of 117% even before its release! A friend in Hyderabad said, “This is in the range of breaking the records of Baahubali 2 and RRR!”
Producer Ravi Shankar clarified about this business at a press meet held in Hyderabad on October 24, 2024. “The non-theatrical deals brought in ₹425 crore. If you add the theatrical rights, it will be easy to touch ₹1000 crore,” he said. These figures have left the industry in shock, because this is the Telugu film after RRR that has done such a huge pre-release business.
Business Breakdown: Theatrical Rights
Reports suggest that Pushpa 2's theatrical rights alone are worth ₹600-660 crore. These deals have been done in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Hindi belt, other languages and overseas markets. Here are some key figures:
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana (AP/TS): ₹213-220 crore. Nizam area alone ₹100 crore, Seeded ₹30 crore, Guntur ₹15.25 crore, Krishna ₹12.5 crore.
Hindi (North India): ₹200 crore. This is the biggest deal in the Hindi market after films like KGF 2 and Baahubali 2.
Tamil Nadu: ₹50 crore. As AGS Entertainment Distributors says, "This could be the film that gives a double-digit opening after Vijay, Ajith and Rajinikanth films."
Karnataka: ₹30-32 crore. N Cinemas distributor Lakshmi Kanth Reddy said, “We will release in more screens than KGF, we are expecting a business of ₹90 crore.”
Kerala: ₹20 crore. E4 Entertainments has closed this deal.
Overseas: ₹100-140 crore. Releasing in 3000+ locations, the film is making waves in the global market.
Looking at these figures, it is clear that Pushpa 2 has taken the Telugu film market to the pan-India level. If you talk to a theatre owner in Vijayawada, he says, “Even though the ticket rates are between ₹1000-1800, FDFS tickets are selling out in seconds!”
Non-theatrical deals: OTT, satellite, music
Non-theatrical rights alone brought in ₹420-425 crore. In which:
OTT Rights: Netflix bought the digital streaming rights for ₹275 crore. Such a huge deal is rare in Indian cinema
Satellite Rights: JioStar Network bought the TV rights for ₹85 crore. The film premiered on Star Maa, Asianet, Colors Kannada, and Star Vijay.
Music Rights: T-Series bought the music rights for ₹65 crore. Songs like “Pushpa Pushpa,” “Sooseki” are already chartbusters.
Looking at these deals, the producers have recovered the budget even before the release of Pushpa 2.
Why a big deal for a Telugu film?
The pre-release business of Pushpa 2 has spread the Telugu cinema range worldwide. Pushpa: The Rise collected ₹365-393 crores and brought Allu Arjun a National Award. The sequel is already gearing up for release in 12,000+ screens, including the highest IMAX screens. Judging by the hype surrounding the premiere at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, fans are in a mood to say “Anything for Pushpa Raj!”
These business figures have topped Telugu films after Baahubali 2 (₹352 crores) and RRR (₹451 crores). However, some distributors discuss the risk involved in X, “To break even at ₹50 crores and ₹20 crores in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, you need super word-of-mouth.”
Challenges and Hype
The distributors are under pressure with this huge business. The film needs to collect ₹620 crore share and ₹1200 crore gross to break-even. But, the hype for Pushpa 2 is extraordinary—1.3 million interests on Book My Show, Paytm, and ₹13.44 crore advance bookings (4.2 lakh tickets) set a record 5 days before release. The Hindi version also earned ₹5.2 crore in advance sales, equal to the Telugu version.
However, the stampede tragedy (one woman died, her son was injured) at the premiere at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad brought some negative talk. A case was registered against Allu Arjun and he was later granted bail. These issues did not affect the hype of the film much, as fans were in a mood of “Waiting for Pushpa Raj Swag!”
Final Talk: Box Office Wildfire!
Pushpa 2: The Rule has set a new benchmark in Indian cinema history with a pre-release business of ₹1085 crore. Allu Arjun's National Award glow, Sukumar's direction, Rashmika-Fahadh chemistry, Devi Sri Prasad's music—all these are going to make the film a pan-India blockbuster. Get ready for a bang in theatres on December 5! Have you booked your FDFS ticket? Post your favorite Pushpa 2 song on X, I'll watch it too!