Ponniyin Selvan I box office prediction: Mani Ratnam film set for ₹60 cr opening
Mani Ratnam’s historical epic Ponniyin Selvan: I released in theatres on Friday.
The film registered massive advance booking sales and is now running to packed houses in its early morning shows. All trends indicate that the multi-starrer will break Tamil cinema box office records, most likely emerging as the best-opening Tamil film of the year.
As per trade sources, Ponniyin Selvan I had advance booking sales of almost ₹17 crore for Friday. This is the highest among all Tamil films this year, surpassing the ₹15-crore mark of Kamal Haasan’s blockbuster Vikram. In addition, the overseas advance booking numbers of the film are reported to be around $1.3 million ( ₹10 crore) as well.
Trade insiders say that going by these numbers and the fact that demand for tickets is high on Friday morning, the film can register an opening of somewhere between ₹30-35 crore across all languages in India alone.
A further ₹20 crore can come from overseas collections on the first day. Sources add that if the film gets good reviews and word of mouth builds strongly, the domestic number can even touch ₹40 crore for the first day. That gives Ponniyin Selvan I a first-day worldwide gross of ₹50-60 crore, which will be the highest for any Tamil film this year.
Vikram had opened to ₹33 crore in India and ₹54 crore gross worldwide when it was released in June. Ponniyin Selvan should surpass these numbers easily. The thing to see is how much further it can go. The early reactions from critics, trade analysts, and audiences to the film have been overwhelmingly positive, which means that word of mouth will be strong.
Ponniyin Selvan I is the first of a two-part historical drama set in the Chola Empire. Based on Kalki’s popular novel of the same name, the film stars Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, and Trisha Krishnan, along with a strong supporting cast. The novel’s popularity in Tamil-speaking masses is also a contributing factor around the anticipation and hype for the film.