Box Office: Mahesh Babu locks his biggest pre-release deal of Rs 135 crores with Trivikram's Guntur Kaaram

Guntur Kaaram, directed by Trivikram and starring Mahesh Babu, Meenakshi Chaudhary and Sreeleela is the biggest release this Sankranthi and is set to take the box office to cleaners from 12th January.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Jan 11, 2024 | 12:42 PM IST | 236.9K

Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram has a worldwide breakeven of Rs 135 crores (Credit: Haarika & Hassine Creations)

Mahesh Babu is one of the most successful stars of Tollywood with a career spanning almost two and a half decades as a lead hero. In the 25 years, the actor has graced theatres 27 times and Guntur Kaaram is his 28th. Guntur Kaaram is releasing on the occasion of Sankranthi, that is on 12th January 2024. It is directed by Trivikram Srinivas and co-stars Sreeleela and Meenakshi Chaudhary among others. The excitement for the film is soaring high as just in another few hours, the film will be available for the audiences that it is made for.

Guntur Kaaram Strikes The Highest Pre-Release Business Deal For A Mahesh Babu Film Of Rs 135 Crores

Guntur Kaaram has very high expectations pinned on it, on the box office front. Mahesh Babu is returning to theatres after Sarkaru Vaari Paata. Justifying the hype surrounding Guntur Kaaram, Mahesh Babu has locked his highest pre-release business deal of around Rs 135 crores. The biggest deal for Mahesh Babu previously was of Rs 122 crores with Sarkaru Vaari Paata. The pre-biz indicates that the movie will need to gross around Rs 200-225 crores just to breakeven.

The Trade Is Optimistic About Guntur Kaaram's Box Office Performance

While no Mahesh film has ever grossed over Rs 200 crores, the trade is very optimistic that the number will comfortably be breached this time around. The ticket-rates have been hiked for the first weekend and if the content of the Mahesh Babu-Trivikram film resonates with the audience, we can expect a break-even in as early as four days. In the past, the actor-director duo have collaborated on films like Khaleja and Athadu, both of which have got massive amount of love from fans and admirers.

Here is the breakdown for the worldwide pre-release business of Guntur Kaaram

Area	Pre Release Business
Nizam	Rs 40 crores (Non-Refundable Advance)
Ceeded	Rs 15 crores (Non-Refundable Advance)
Andhra Pradesh	Rs 50 crores (Non-Refundable Advance)
AP/TS	Rs 105 crores (excluding GST)
Karnataka + Rest Of India	Rs 10 crores
Overseas	Rs 20 crores
Worldwide Breakeven	Rs 135 crores (excluding GST)

With around Rs 5 crores of publicity and advertising, Gantur Kaaram will require a share of around Rs 140 crores to breakeven

Watch the Guntur Kaaram Trailer

Guntur Kaaram Is A Supremely Profitable Film For The Producers Already

Guntur Kaaram has total pre-release recoveries of around Rs 250 crores including the worldwide theatrical rights. It is already a supremely profitable venture for the producers and if it manages to get a good word of mouth, the exhibitors and distributors will also laugh their way to the banks because the Sankranthi festival also pulls the non-traditional viewers in the Andhra states to the theatres.

Guntur Kaaram Is The Biggest Release For The Sankranthi Weekend

The weekend is packed with a lot of releases. Apart from Guntur Kaaram which is hands down the biggest film this weekend on the commercial front, there is Saindhav and Hanu Man for Tollywood film viewers. The Kollywood industry sees the release of Ayalaan and Captain Miller. There also is a bi-lingual thriller Merry Christmas that has audiences intrigued. On the whole, there is a lot to look forward to, for Indian film viewers this festive season.

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