Madharaasi: Makers Blocking Seats for Fake Hype?

Sivakarthikeyan’s Madharaasi, directed by AR Murugadoss, is set for a worldwide release on September 5. With only a few days left, pre bookings have started across several theatres worldwide.

Reports suggest that the pre bookings for Madharaasi are quite dull. Until yesterday, the hourly trending rate had not even appeared on the Book My Show platform, indicating low initial interest.

Bookings opened yesterday at Inox, PVR, and AGS theatres. Although many tickets for the first three days appear blocked, actual sales are very limited. Some netizens believe that seats were blocked to show artificial demand and create the image of a strong opening.

Online discussions also highlight that while Madharaasi is struggling, the Malayalam film Lokah and the Hollywood movie Conjuring are enjoying strong bookings. This has led to questions about Sivakarthikeyan’s star power and the film’s box office potential.

As of now, less than 25% of Day 1 tickets have been sold. Many believe this reflects Sivakarthikeyan’s inconsistency at the box office, with some suggesting that Amaran’s ₹350 crore success was just a one-time fluke.

The real test will be on September 5. It remains to be seen if Madharaasi can improve with word of mouth and emerge as a blockbuster despite its weak pre release bookings.