'Shaakuntalam' box office prediction: Samantha's film may struggle
What's the story
The much-awaited periodical drama starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Shaakuntalam, is all set to release in cinema halls on Friday.
A Gunasekhar directorial, the pan-India film is the first release of Prabhu this year, that too a highly anticipated one.
Ahead of its release, trade analysts have dropped hints about how the movie might perform, especially in the Hindi belt.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Shaakuntalam is the second pan-India release for Prabhu after her 2022 hit action drama Yashoda. Originally made in Telugu, Shaakuntalam is based on Kalidas's play, Abhignyana Shakuntalam.
The mythological drama shows the love story between Shakuntala and King Dushyant of the Puru dynasty.
The film is being released in 3D across multiple languages including Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Box office prediction
Film may not fare well at the ticket window
As per early predictions, Shaakuntalam may not be able to have an easy run at the box office and might have to put up a fight, said a report by flickonclick.com.
Another report claimed it may get an opening day collection of Rs. 2 crore. However, more about its actual performance can only be said after it has been released.
The language impact
Expected to perform better in Telugu states
The maximum collection will be drawn from the Telugu-speaking states. As per industry tracker Ramesh Bala, about 60% to 70% of its business would come from the Telugu region.
Speaking about its performance in the Hindi belt, Bala said that it may not have an impact similar to the Baahubali, or the KGF franchises because it isn't an action genre.
About the film
Everything to know about 'Shaakuntalam'
Shaakuntalam is largely a female-centric movie. While Prabhu plays the titular role, actor Dev Mohan will be seen as Dushyant. Gunasekhar has cast other actors Prakash Raj, Allu Arha, Kabir Bedi, Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Babu, Gautami, Madhoo, and others.
It is jointly backed by Gunaa Teamworks and Sri Venkateswara Creations. The VFX-heavy film has mostly been shot in Hyderabad's Ramoji Film City.