Pushpa 2 has emerged as the second highest-grossing film ever in the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Allu Arjun starrer has grossed Rs. 316 crore approx in the twin states, slotting it between two SS Rajamouli films — behind RRR and ahead of Baahubali 2. The film still has plenty of gas left in the tank and with the New Year holidays ahead, it is poised to inch closer to the Rs. 350 crore mark.
The film has particularly excelled in the Ceded districts, where it became the second film ever to cross Rs. 50 crore gross mark. By the end of its run, it will come within 10 per cent of the current record holder RRR. In Nizam, the film is currently the third highest grosser behind RRR and Kalki 2898 AD, it is well on track to topple the latter and get real close to RRR.
In Coastal Andhra, Pushpa 2 stands as the third highest-grossing film, behind RRR and Baahubali 2. There has been an underperformance in the two Godavari districts, which will be only par to Kalki, while the rest of the region will be nearly 20 per cent higher. A similar performance in these two districts would have meant an extra Rs. 6-7 crore gross.
Despite these blockbuster numbers, there is a narrative that the film has not performed well in the Telugu states, which is a complete hogwash. This narrative stems from the archaic way of judging things solely by distributors’ recovery, disregarding the actual box office performance is which is measured by gross numbers. Distributor recovery could be a good measure if the prices involved are rational, which is seldom the case. The films are sold at irrationally high levels, which means even when the film does hit or super hit business, it is seen as a failure. The same is true for Pushpa 2, which was sold at All-Time Blockbuster prices and it will likely fall short by 10 per cent in the Coastal Andhra overall and a bigger shortfall of 25 per cent in Godavari districts. Despite extraordinary business in Ceded, the profits will only be 20 per cent or so, while Nizam will just about breakeven.
There was a genuine issue of trend in the first week of release where occupancies in various centres were below the mark but that was due to obscenly high ticket prices. The issue was sorted, with prices normalised soon after and the film responded to them well. By the end of its run, Pushpa 2 will have sold more than 1.60 crore tickets in Telugu states, which is second only to RRR in recent times and 30-35 per cent higher than the next best.
The Top Twenty Highest Grossing Films in AP/TS are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RRR | 2022 | Rs. 396.00 cr. |
| 2 | Pushpa: The Rule | 2024 | Rs. 316.00 cr. |
| 3 | Baahubali: The Conclusion | 2017 | Rs. 307.00 cr. |
| 4 | Kalki 2898 AD | 2024 | Rs. 291.00 cr. |
| 5 | Devara | 2024 | Rs. 219.00 cr. |
| 6 | Salaar | 2023 | Rs. 218.50 cr. |
| 7 | Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo | 2020 | Rs. 196.00 cr. |
| 8 | Baahubali: The Beginning | 2015 | Rs. 172.00 cr. |
| 9 | Waltair Veeraya | 2023 | Rs. 171.00 cr. |
| 10 | Sarileru Neekevvaru | 2020 | Rs. 161.00 cr. |
| 11 | Rangasthalam | 2018 | Rs. 158.00 cr. |
| 12 | KGF Chapter 2 | 2022 | Rs. 156.00 cr. |
| 13 | Hanuman | 2024 | Rs. 153.00 cr. |
| 14 | Syeraa Narasimha Reddy | 2019 | Rs. 152.00 cr. |
| 15 | Pushpa: The Rise | 2021 | Rs. 150.50 cr. |
| 16 | Sarkaru Vaari Paata | 2022 | Rs. 143.00 cr. |
| 17 | Guntur Kaaram | 2024 | Rs. 133.00 cr. |
| 18 | Adipurush | 2023 | Rs. 131.50 cr. |
| 19 | Maharshi | 2019 | Rs. 130.00 cr. |
| 20 | Saaho | 2019 | Rs. 125.00 cr. |
ALSO READ: Pushpa 2 vs Baahubali 2 vs KGF 2: Day wise all India box office collection comparison
