Veteran Tamil film distributor and financier Tiruppur Subramaniam has said that Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2 would have grossed between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,300 crore worldwide if the film had been given the advantage of flexible ticket pricing. He claimed that restrictive screening policies on opening day cost the film an estimated Rs 5-6 crore in gross collections. Tamil cinema is still awaiting its first Rs 1000 crore blockbuster while Hindi, Telugu and Kannada cinema have multiple films in the club. Jailer 2 has earned Rs 807.25 crore globally but it seems difficult that it would breach the Rs 1000 crore barrier with Ranbir Kapoor-Yash-starrer Ramayana releasing this Thursday.
Tiruppur Subramaniam pointed out that previous Tamil blockbusters had benefited from pricing and scheduling advantages that were not available to Jailer 2. “Jailer 2 would have grossed Rs 1,200-1,300 crore had it been given the advantage of flexible ticket pricing. 2.0 had that flexibility, while Leo had early morning shows — Jailer 2 had neither. Nearly 90 per cent of locations did not have fan shows, except for one or two areas, and regular screenings began only after 9 AM, which cost the film approximately Rs 5-6 crore in overall gross,” he said.
However, Tiruppur Subramaniam noted that a government rule introduced during the tenure of chief minister Vijay subsequently allowed theatres to screen early morning shows for seven days. “Without that policy, multiplex chains like PVR would not have been able to schedule early morning screenings,” he remarked.
He offered a broader observation about Rajinikanth’s approach to stardom that went beyond box office numbers. “Rajinikanth has remained the same person from the days of Muthu to Thalapathy,” Tiruppur Subramaniam said. “He understands his commercial value and knows that the people investing money in his films must make a profit. He doesn’t want to do experimental films that could result in losses.”
Making space for others
Tiruppur Subramaniam remarked that Rajinikanth willingly lets co-actors shine, even at the potential expense of his own screen dominance. “Just look at Namo Narayanan’s character. He makes fun of Rajinikanth, a superstar who has ruled the industry for 50 years, and Rajini Sir is comfortable accepting it,” he said.
He traced this quality through Rajinikanth’s filmography. In Padayappa, comedian Senthil had scenes that played on Rajinikanth’s image. In Sivaji, Vivek’s comedy track included moments that poked fun at the superstar. In Chandramukhi, Vadivelu’s comedy operated in the same space. In each case, Rajinikanth not only allowed the comedy but actively created room for it within the narrative.
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“Despite having such a massive image, Rajinikanths creates space for other actors and allows them to shine,” Subramaniam said. “At the same time, he has his own image-defining moments.”
Jailer 2’s box office so far
Jailer 2 has crossed Rs 807 crore worldwide as of its 18th day, making it the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, surpassing 2.0’s Rs 691 crore record. The Tamil version has driven the majority of collections, while the Hindi version has been hampered by the PVR INOX and Cinepolis dispute over OTT windows. The film is produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar.
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