On the opening day itself, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion crossed Rs 100 crores (net) at the box office across the country. The Hindi version alone, according to boxofficeindia.com, made up for Rs 40.75 crores (net) of the total amount. In comparison, previous blockbusters, Dangal (2016) opened at Rs 29 crores (net) while Sultan (2016) managed to get Rs 36.59 crores (net). Now S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus is already India’s highest net grosser as of Wednesday at Rs 441 crores. That’s already more than the net lifetime earnings of films such as Dangal at Rs 387 crores, PK at Rs 337 crores and Sultan at Rs 300 (figures courtesy boxofficeindia.com).
Recently, Hollywood Reporter published details that the Telugu film – which opened at $10.1 million (Rs 64 crores) across a mere 450 screens – is sitting happy with a number three spot in the American markets and at number one in north America. Baahubali 2 is up on the charts behind The Fate of the Furious with Vin Diesel and How to be a Latin Lover with Salma Hayek and Kristen Bell. It’s the biggest opening an Indian film has ever received in the U.S. “Indian audiences gave always been passionate about cinema and the entire Indian diaspora have come to watch Baahubali 2 ,” says Rajkumar Akella of ComScore, a company that measures audiences, brands and consumer behaviour. There’s been an assumption that audiences overseas flock to see Hindi films, but Baahubali 2 ’s success is also the result of a strong Telugu-speaking NRI base in America. ComScore reports that previous Indian top grossers in the US, Dangal amassed $12.39 million in its lifetime while PK did $10.61 million. Rajamouli’s film has already snagged $12 million in just four days. The South Indian film has evidently beaten the kings (read Khans) of Bollywood bringing to light several shortcomings of the film industry.
Seasonal effect
That the film is a mammoth success needs little reiteration. Its content and visual effects are without a doubt the most luring factors of the film which has translated to 90 and 95% occupancy in cinema halls across the country. According to Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, a specialised media consulting firm, Baahubali 2 has been released in a staggering 9,000 theatres across the world with 4,000 screening the Hindi version of the film. “That’s 10% more than Dangal and Sultan,” says Kapoor. At first glance, it does appear to be monopoly at play, but filmmakers have, of their own volition, stayed far away from Baahubali 2 ’s release date which was set six months in advance. In fact, they’re still postponing releases, case in point the upcoming Hindi Medium which has been moved to clash with Half Girlfriend on May 19. And the April 28 release for the Rajamouli film was especially advantageous; it culminated in a long weekend (for most Indian states and the US) thanks to the Labour Day holiday the following Monday. “Most filmmakers keep traditional dates [for releases] like Eid, Diwali for their big films,” says Sreedhar Pillai, a box office analyst, who’s of the opinion that a summer release can do wonders for a film’s opening. “Choosing release dates is very important in commercial cinema,” says Pillai.
Across the country, ticket prices were inflated to capitalise on the audience’s obsession with Baahubali 2 . There was also an increase in the usual number of shows screened at theatres. Akella for instance, offers the example of Andhra Pradesh, where some distributors petitioned the court to screen six shows a day during the opening weekend, while Telangana received permission for five daily screenings. Some started early in the morning going well into the night. “The theatres were also allowed to charge ticket prices of Rs 300 to Rs 400, an increase in the usual cost, for the first ten days,” says Akella. In light of this, the Karnataka government has capped ticket prices for films of all languages at Rs 200 in both single screens and multiplexes. The move already has the industry up in arms. The rest of the country, though, has had to pay more than usual for the Telugu spectacle. But they certainly don’t seem to mind shelling the extra buck. This, despite the fact that India has been witnessing a decrease in annual box office revenues in the last five years.
What lies beneath
Kapoor says Baahubali 2 is likely to reach Rs 1000 crores soon enough, revealing that the size of the market is beyond what has previously been imagined. “This film exposes the actual potential of the [box office],” he says referring to decreased box office revenues due to digital and alternative distribution models. It all boils down to the content of the film which in this case has attracted crowds at higher ticket prices. “But one film will not change things overnight,” he cautions.
Worthy wait: Fans lining up to watch the first-day first-show of Bahubali 2: The Conclusion on Friday, April 28. M. Vedhan .
In a recent interview, the film's sound designer P.M. Satheesh said that Telugu cinema was capable of a feat like Baahubali 2 only because budgets for the film went into production instead of big stars’ payment. It brings to mind the obsession Bollywood has with star power without which, we’ve seen decreased footfalls at cinema halls. It’s also the reason why – like The Hindu recently reported – films helmed by female actors do poorly compared to their male counterparts: a lack of a male superstar. “Younger actors charge Rs 10 to Rs 15 crores [per film] when they don’t have a solid fan base,” says Kapoor. “They’re damaging the industry and this film ( Baahubali 2 ) proves that content is beyond star power. It puts star power into perspective,” emphasises Kapoor.
The film also highlights India’s fragmented cinema. For long now, filmmakers have restricted themselves to cater to particular sections of the country. Change is in order to increase box office revenues. “The Hindi film industry has to look for alternative markets like Telugu and Tamil [speaking states],” says Pillai. “Even a film like Tubelight has to release in three to four languages.” After all, Baahubali 2 ’s collections are best in the five southern states, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu accounting for 65% of the film’s revenue. Clearly, the southern states have the money for film tickets but simply need a film that's worth spending on.
As Akella puts it, Baahubali 2 has become a case study in how to make a pan-India film. “Filmmakers have [attempted] something like this before but never on such a scale; managing to appeal to fragmented communities,” he says. But let’s not forget that the film, like its prequel, has a long life out of theatres, one that starts with television. It then moves onto a range of offshoots such as an animated series, merchandise (which includes the questionable sartorial choice of having Baahubali 2 sarees), a virtual reality film and a lot more. If you thought Baahubali 2 has been everywhere, it’s only just the beginning.
