As earlier reported, Pushpa 2 ranks as the second highest-grossing film of all time in the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Since then, the film has consolidated its position, with a total gross of Rs. 339 crore thus far. The film has almost exhausted its run now, it managed to add just Rs. 60 lakh to its tally yesterday. It has three more days to collect, after which its run will come to an end with the release of Game Changer on Jan 10th and other Sankranti releases in the following days. The final number in Telugu states is expected to close at Rs. 342 crore.
Breaking down the film’s performance in three box office divisions of Telugu states; it has performed best in Ceded. The film is also the second highest grosser ever in Nizam as well, in fact, closer to RRR on the top. However, in Ceded, it significantly outperforms the next Non-Rajamouli best, Devara, versus Kalki 2898 AD in Nizam, which makes for a better read.
In Coastal Andhra, Pushpa 2 is the third biggest ever, trailing also behind Baahubali 2. The film has seen slight underperformance in the northern part of the region, particularly in the Godavari districts, where its earnings are on par with Kalki 2898 AD. In contrast, in the southern districts like Guntur, Krishna and Nellore, the difference is significantly higher at 35 per cent. Even compared with the first Pushpa, the rest of the region is 2.5 times while Godavari districts are just 2 times.
Now why did this happen, there are potential theories of some external factors in play but this is not the space to talk about that. Had the Northern districts performed similarly to the South, it could have grossed another Rs. 8 crore or so in the region.
The Top Five Grossers in Territories of Telugu States are as follows:
Nizam
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RRR | 2022 | Rs. 165.50 cr. |
| 2 | Pushpa: The Rule | 2024 | Rs. 153.50 cr. |
| 3 | Kalki 2898 AD | 2024 | Rs. 152.00 cr. |
| 4 | Baahubali: The Conclusion | 2017 | Rs. 113.50 cr. |
| 5 | Salaar | 2023 | Rs. 106.00 cr. |
Andhra
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RRR | 2022 | Rs. 168.50 cr. |
| 2 | Baahubali: The Conclusion | 2017 | Rs. 146.50 cr. |
| 3 | Pushpa: The Rule | 2024 | Rs. 133.00 cr. |
| 4 | Kalki 2898 AD | 2024 | Rs. 107.00 cr. |
| 5 | Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo | 2020 | Rs. 96.00 cr. |
Ceded
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RRR | 2022 | Rs. 62.00 cr. |
| 2 | Pushpa: The Rule | 2024 | Rs. 55.50 cr. |
| 3 | Baahubali: The Conclusion | 2017 | Rs. 47.00 cr. |
| 4 | Devara | 2024 | Rs. 42.00 cr. |
| 5 | Kalki 2898 AD | 2024 | Rs. 32.00 cr. |
Despite these blockbuster numbers, there is a narrative that the film has not performed well in the Telugu states, which is completely misplaced. This narrative stems from the archaic way of judging things solely by distributors’ recovery, disregarding the actual box office performance, 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 but it will fall short of those by around 15 per cent in the Coastal Andhra, 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 break even.
