'Ai' ('Manoharudu'): Will Vikram Starrer Break Rajinikanth's 'Robo' Record in AP?

Vikram-Shankar's magnum opus "Ai" ("Manoharudu" in Telugu) has been creating a lot of positive buzz in trade circles, ever since the film's producer Aascar Ravindran met with Telugu film journalists and showed them a 50 second teaser of the film.

Those who have watched the teaser seem to have been awestruck with the content. Positive word of mouth has raised the expectations surrounding the project. Buzz is that distributors from Laxmi Ganapathi Films have shown interest in buying the Telugu dubbing rights of "Ai" for ₹15 crore. But, producer Ravichandran is planning to sell the dubbing rights for a whopping price of ₹20 crore and more, reported Cinemlead.

So far, only Rajinikanth's "Endhiran" Telugu dubbed version ("Robo") has been sold for a ₹20 crore plus amount. The theatrical rights (including AP/Nizam areas) of Rajini's "Robo" were sold for a big amount of ₹27 crore, reported Andhraboxoffice.

It remains to be seen if Vikram's "Ai" will be able to break that record. Even if the film's Telugu version is not able to beat "Robo" record, it might still end up with a ₹20 crore plus deal and become the second dubbed film to acheive the feat. 

Directed by Shankar, "Ai" is one of the most awaited films of 2014. The romantic thriller film has been in the making for nearly two years. Vikram has undergone several physical changes and he will be seen in more than one look.

Talking about Vikram's hardwork, producer Ravichandran told Cinemalead, "I can't think of any other actor in Vikram's place, for one character he increased his weight upto 130kgs and for the other he brought it down to 60 kgs. For the make-up alone he spent close to 12 hrs daily."

Those who have seen the film's teaser have stated that Vikram appears in different looks including that of werewolf like beast, a stylish looking guy, a body builder and a crippled old man among others.

Amy Jackson of "Madarasapattinam" fame plays the female lead in the romantic thriller flick. Suresh Gopi and Bollywood actor Upen Patel are also part of the film's cast.

The audio launch of "Ai" is all set to take place on 15 September in Chennai. The event will be a grand affair with the presence of big celebrities including Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The music release for the Telugu version "Manoharudu" will be held on 20 September. Jackie Chan will apparently be the chief guest for the Telugu film audio launch.

"Ai" is gearing up for a Diwali release in October. The film's producer is reportedly planning to release the film in at least 4,000 screens in India. The Vikram starrer is expected to be dubbed in other languages including Hindi, Malayalam, English and Chinese.