How Prabhas' Kalki 2898 AD saved Suriya's Kanguva from further release delays
Producer KE Gnanavel Raja revealed his considerations and the challenges he faced while ensuring Kanguva's optimal release date, highlighting the impact of Kalki 2898 AD's performance on his decisions.
Kalki 2898 AD paved way for Kanguva.
Producer KE Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green shares a great rapport with Tamil superstar Suriya. He has taken a huge risk by bankrolling Suriya's latest movie, Kanguva. The epic period fantasy is believed to be the most expensive film in Suriya's career. To put it in perspective, Kanguva's cost was three times more than the theatrical collection of Suriya's previous biggest commercial success.
Gnanavel Raja seems to be taking great caution in planning the release of Kanguva. In fact, he took his own time to announce the release date for the movie. While he was studying the market, the mood of cinema patrons, and trends to zero in on the optimal date to maximize the film's success, fans were attacking the producers for their supposed indecisiveness.
Recently, Gnanavel revealed that he might have postponed the release of Kanguva to next year if Kalki 2898 AD, starring Telugu superstar Prabhas, had failed to click with audiences in North Indian states. "I didn't sleep for three days ahead of Kalki 2898 AD's release. Because its success or failure will directly impact every South film released in the North. The trust of the audience and trade would have gone away from South films that are released in Hindi if Kalki hadn't worked," Gnanavel told Galatta Plus.
Kalki 2898 AD is inspired by the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata and is set in a dystopian world, with plenty of sci-fi elements. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan.
Kalki 2898 AD earned more than Rs 200 crore in Hindi alone in less than two weeks after its release. The reception for this original Telugu movie encouraged Gnanavel to expedite the release of Kanguva.
"I announced the release date for Kanguva the day Kalki was released and started performing well in Hindi-speaking states. Otherwise, I would have waited for the release of Pushpa 2 to bring back the positivity. As a producer, I need to find the right time to release, devise the right promotional strategy, and ensure the quality of the content. We have about 60 percent of VFX, and I need time till October to finish the remaining work," he added.
Kanguva, written and directed by Siva, will open in cinemas on October 10.
Updated: July 10, 2024 02:55 PM IST
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