'The Raja Saab' vs 'Jana Nayagan': Prabhas to beat Vijay?
What's the story
In a rare occurrence, two pan-Indian superstars are set to clash at the box office on a major festival. Prabhas's The Raja Saab and Vijay's Jana Nayagan will hit theaters on Friday, January 9, marking an epic showdown for the Pongal-Sankranthi weekend. Despite being from different languages and industries, their simultaneous release could lead to competition for screens and audiences. Here's a breakdown of which film might emerge victorious in this star-studded battle.
Vijay's box office prediction
'Jana Nayagan' expected to earn ₹100-110cr globally on opening day
Vijay's films have traditionally performed well in Tamil Nadu, with additional support from the Telugu states, Kerala, and Karnataka. His previous releases, Leo and GOAT, reportedly earned over ₹100 crore worldwide on their opening days. Current estimates suggest Jana Nayagan could follow suit with projected earnings of ₹100-110 crore gross worldwide on its opening day, per Hindustan Times. However, this would still fall short of Vijay's record-breaking performance with Leo which opened at a staggering ₹126 crore.
Prabhas's box office prediction
Prabhas's 'The Raja Saab' expected to open at ₹130-145cr worldwide
Post-Baahubali, Prabhas has consistently ensured pan-India openings for his films. The Hindi-dubbed versions of his movies have reportedly opened in excess of ₹15 crore net in India, giving them a wider reach nationally and globally. For The Raja Saab, which is not an action-packed mass entertainer, the opening day earnings are expected to be lower than some of his other post-Baahubali releases but still impressive. Current estimates suggest it could open at ₹130-145 crore worldwide.
Clash dynamics
'The Raja Saab' to dominate Hindi belt
The Raja Saab, starring Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani, both popular among Hindi audiences, is expected to open at ₹18-20 crore in Hindi alone. In contrast, Jana Nayagan may struggle to earn over ₹1 crore in the language on its opening day. However, the competition is tighter in their respective native languages, with both films tracking at ₹40 crore openings in Telugu and Tamil, respectively.
Release strategy
'Jana Nayagan's delayed advance bookings could affect its earnings
Despite being Vijay's last film before he enters politics full-time, Jana Nayagan is not expected to surpass the opening day earnings of Leo. Factors such as the delay in advance bookings due to late CBFC certification for Jana Nayagan might have affected its buzz. The film is still awaiting its censor certificate, with just three days left for release. Directed by H Vinoth, it also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Mamitha Baiju. Meanwhile, Maruthi has directed Prabhas's film.