Box Office: As Ajith Kumar's Good Bad Ugly ticket sales open 6 days before release, analyzing whether it's a good decision - or a hasty one

In a move that has taken many by surprise, the upcoming Tamil film Good Bad Ugly, starring Ajith Kumar in a triple role, has opened ticket sales a whole six days before its release on April 10th. While early ticket sales are a common feat, opening the counters almost six days in advance is unprecedented. Will this be a strategic tactic by Tollywood's most successful producer, Mythri Movie Makers, or could it backfire? 

A production giant takes a bold step!

Mythri Movie Makers, a powerhouse in Telugu cinema known for blockbusters like the Pushpa franchise and Rangasthalam, is making its grand Tamil debut now with Ajith's Good Bad Ugly. While their track record in Tollywood and even Malayalam and Hindi is stellar, their decision to open bookings nearly a week before release in a relatively new territory for them, Kollywood, is a bold step for sure. 

Box Office strategy: Calculated risk or overconfidence?

Tamil cinema has seen advance ticket sales before, but usually closer to release only. Movies like Vikram and Don, which carried phenomenal pre-release craze, have opened bookings just two days prior. When it's clear that the makers haven't done enough pre-release promotion for Good Bad Ugly, which would rake up the buzz significantly, why did they rush with this movie anyway?

Is it a way to capitalize on Ajith’s fanbase and build momentum, or does it hint at a hasty decision taken in view of the competition around on that particular release day. April 10 is shaping up to be a crowded release date, with the likes of Siddhu Jonnalagadda's Jack (Telugu), Sunny Deol's Jaat (Hindi), and Mammootty’s Bazooka (Malayalam) hitting cinemas. 

The Theory of Early Bookings

Early bookings work best and result in huge ticket buying only when audience excitement is at its peak. But here’s the catch. Ajith's Good Bad Ugly hasn’t exactly been riding a wave of hype. After the trailer received a lukewarm response and the songs haven’t taken off, the film hasn't hogged the limelight on social media. Adding to this, promotions have been minimal. Even Ajith himself hasn’t started promoting the film yet. In these times, how would early bookings get attention, and how would pre-sales of tickets bring hype? 

While none of the films in the April 10th race have opened ticket sales yet, it looks like Good Bad Ugly is trying to lock in its audience before the competition can. As Ajith’s last film, Vidaamuyarchi, opened with ₹32 crore in India and hitting pre-sales revenue of ₹46 crore globally, we have to see where Good Bad Ugly stand.

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