Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 has taken a strong start at the global box office and is reportedly heading for an opening day of around Rs. 120 crores worldwide, with India contributing an estimated Rs. 65-70 crores and overseas markets expected to add around USD 5 million. These figures are early estimates, and the final numbers could change when actuals arrive.
Based on advance bookings, expectations were initially around Rs. 60 crores. However, word of mouth is not bad, which seems to have helped the film gain momentum, pushing it towards the Rs. 70 crores mark in India.
Kerala and Karnataka have emerged as the strongest markets, with both reportedly recording the biggest opening days ever for a Tamil film. Tamil Nadu, however, has been a relative underperformer, especially considering that Jailer 2 is the sequel to a massive blockbuster.
Jailer 2 has done very poor numbers in Hindi, with around Rs. 3.5 crores gross, due to its fractured release, with no shows in big national multiplexes. The word of mouth in Hindi is better, so it should sustain for a few days.
The film has a four-day extended opening weekend ahead, followed by the Dussehra and Puja holidays during the weekdays. This gives it a strong chance to build a substantial total in its first few days.
The first Jailer collected around Rs. 600 crores worldwide and emerged as a blockbuster. Given the scale and expectations surrounding the sequel, Jailer 2 needs to go well beyond that benchmark to justify its high landing costs and emerge as a successful sequel.
