Tamil superstar Suriya's upcoming action thriller "Singam 3" aka "S3," which is the third part of the "Singam" franchise, is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The cop movie, which also stars Anushka Shetty and Shruti Haasan in lead roles, is expected to open to positive audience response as its prequels have performed well at the Tamil Nadu box office.
Days after Malkapuram Siva acquired the Telugu distribution rights of Hari-directed "S3" for a whopping price of Rs. 18 crore, the latest we hear from the industry is that the theatrical rights of the K. E. Gnanavel Raja's production venture has been sold for Rs. 5.30 crore in Kerala. If the rumours are to be believed, it is the highest theatrical right amount for a Suriya-starrer as the actor's previous outing "24" was bagged by Sopanam Films for Rs. 3.10 crore. However, "S3" has failed to beat the distribution right amount of Vijay's "Theri," which was released in Kerala by Friday Film House in association with Carnival Motion Pictures for Rs. 5.60 crore.
Meanwhile, trade analysts also suggest that the actual theatrical right figure of "S3" might be around Rs. 3.5-3.7 crore. "Luks like dstrbtr update of #Singam3 Kerala rights 5.3Cr is a publicity stunt to sell areas for higher rates !! Actuals arnd 3.5-3.7Cr !," tweets Kerala Box Office.
It is also heard that the upcoming "Thodari" and "Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada" have been sold for a lesser price. While the distribution rights of the Dhanush-starrer is said to be Rs. 80 lakh, the rights of Simbu and Manjima Mohan's romantic entertainer is expected to have been acquired for Rs. 65 lakh in Kerala. The movies are scheduled to hit the screens in September.
Meanwhile, rumours have it that the production house Global United Media has bagged the distribution right of SS Rajamouli's magnum opus project "Baahubali - The Conclusion" ("Baahubali 2") in Kerala for Rs. 10.50 crore. However, a source close to the company has told International Business Times, India that the reported figures are not right and that they will announce the actual amount soon.
As of now, Rajinikanth's "Kabali" tops the list (Kerala theatrical right 2016) as it was distributed in the state by superstar Mohanlal for Rs. 7.50 crore.