Shah Rukh Khan's "Happy New Year" is set for a worldwide release on 24 October. The heist film will be shown in around 6,000 screens including the Tamil and Telugu versions worldwide, which is deemed as a record for any Indian film.
In the South, "Happy New Year" is likely to release in good number of screens as SRK has a huge fan base. The success of the actor's last "Chennai Express" has opened the market for Hindi films in South India. There are huge expectations for "Happy New Year" and the film is expected to take good openings. If the action-comedy drama receives favourable reviews, it will ensure that the SRK starrer fares well at the South box office.
"Happy New Year" might not enjoy an open run in the South as a few other biggies will also be fighting against the SRK starrer at the box office. The heist film might be facing big competition from Vijay's "Kaththi", which has opened well in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, "Kaththi" is likely to dominate the screens as Vijay enjoys a massive fan-following in these two states. Although the release of "Happy New Year" might affect its business to some extent, it is expected to be the first preference among Tamil-speaking audience.
In Andhra Pradesh, "Kaththi" has not yet been released. The Telugu dubbed version of the film will be hitting screens on 31 October. There are no big Telugu releases and only Nikhil Siddharth's "Karthikeya" is releasing in the state.
The film might not pose a big threat to "Happy New Year" and the SRK starrer is expected to perform decent business.
In Karnataka, "Kaththi" has released in 102 screens. The film has taken humongous openings in the state and it is expected to continue its business owing to Diwali holidays. However, the release of "Happy New Year" might play spoilsport for the Vijay starrer. The film's promotions have generated a huge buzz and it is likely to open well in the state.
The action thriller flick has taken good openings in key overseas markets like the US, but it is likely to be outperformed by Shah Rukh Khan's "Happy New Year" due to a wide release. However, the SRK starrer might not be able to overtake "Kaththi" in Malayisa, which is one of major markets for Tamil films.
