Hyderabad:
Even behind-the-scenes, this is not a movie for the faint-hearted. Robot, starring Rajinikanth, cost 160 crores, making it the most-expensive Indian film ever.
Now, rights to sell the dubbed Telugu version in Andhra Pradesh have been sold for a hefty 27 crores to a maize merchant from Rajahmundry. Presumably, it's been bumper crops for him all the way. Experts say the stakes may be too high.
"It is a very bad decision to spend 27 crores on a dubbed film. Even if the film becomes a sensational hit, they cannot recover the money," says noted producer, C Kalyan.
The big question is will Rajinikanth be able to deliver box office magic like an adult Harry Potter on steroids? Three years ago, his "Sivaji the Boss" was a hit in Andhra Pradesh as well. An encore with Robot in Telugu could be tough, given that Robot releases on October 1 in a crowded Dusshera calendar. Two big-budget Telugu films will hit theatres the Friday after that. Mahesh Babu's Khaleja and Junior NTR's Brindavanam both have 40-crore budgets and could offer stiff competition to Rajinikanth.
"If they are very good films, this (Robot) will surely get hit because the Mahesh Babu and NTR films will have their own audience," says producer Suresh Babu.
In the last two years, 650 of the 2500 cinemas in Andhra Pradesh have shut shop. And competition for screens and audiences has never been hotter.