This Pongal will witness the clash between two big Tamil films - "Jilla" and "Veeram" - at the box office. While the Vijay and Ajith starrers have to battle it out with each other at the Tamil Nadu box office, the films will be facing strong competition from one more superstar movie in key markets outside Tamil Nadu and overseas territories.
Telugu actor Mahesh Babu's "1 Nenokkadine" is all set to hit the screens on 10 January along with "Jilla" and "Veeram." Unlike other Telugu films, "1 Nenokkadine is gearing up for a massive release worldwide as it is backed by popular production and distribution company, EROS International, which has acquired the worldwide release rights of the film.
According to trade experts, "1 Nenokkadine" will be releasing on a large scale in India as well as overseas markets. "No Telugu movie has been released on this scale till date. Agreements have been made with multiplex operators in India and abroad. Eros International has acquired the worldwide release rights of the movie. '1 Nenokkadine' is expected to release in 3,500 screens worldwide on a scale of a Hindi movie," Telugu cinema trade analyst Hemanth Kumar told Bangalore Mirror.
Apparently, the makers of "1 Nenokkadine" have blocked several screens in key overseas territories such as US, UK and Singapore, where Tamil films have huge markets. The Mahesh Babu starrer is also posing a big threat for "Veeram" and "Jilla" in key Indian markets such as Bangalore, where several multiplexes as well as single screens have been blocked for "1 Nenokkadine."
However, the film will be releasing in lesser number of screens in Tamil Nadu. According to senior film journalist Sreedhar Pillai, "1 Nenokkadine" is likely to get 32 screens in Tamil Nadu, mostly in Chennai and North Arcot, South Arcot, Chengalpattu (NSC) areas. Sreedhar revealed that the screen count is 50 percent of the number of the screens allotted for Mahesh Babu's 2011-release "Dookudu."
"Jilla and "Veeram" are likely to do fantastic business in Tamil Nadu, however, it needs to be seen whether the films will be able to perform better than "1 Nenokkadine" in other areas.
The Telugu film, deemed as an action thriller flick, is carrying huge expectations, thanks to aggressive and unique promotions by the makers. Made on a whopping budget, "1 Nenokkadine" boasts of an engrossing screenplay that is sure to appeal to the urban audience. On the other hand, "Jilla" and "Veeram" are touted to be mass entertainers set in the backdrop of a village.
The pre-release buzz for "1 Nenokkadine" has been really positive and the film is expected to take terrific openings in all territories where it is getting released. The film's content value and technical brillaince might boost its chances to overtake "Jilla" and "Veeram" and score well at the box office. One needs to wait a little longer to find out which film will top the overseas box office- "Jilla", "Veeram" or "1 Nenokkadine"?
