Muthu, one of the blockbuster hits of Superstar Rajinikanth’s career, hit the silver screens in 1998. The film was not only a blockbuster in India but earned the star a huge fan following in Japan as well and went on to collect $1.6 million in that country alone. Till date, there is no other film that has managed to match this feat in Japan, including the mega hit Baahubali.
According to trade reports, Baahubali 2, which was released in Japan in December last year, has managed to collect $1.3 million till date. The film’s producer Shobu Yarlagadda and director SS Rajamouli will be heading to Japan for a special screening, say sources.
Shobu Yarlagadda told Firstpost, “We are very happy. I think it’s the third highest grossing film in Japan after Muthu and 3 Idiots there. It’s very nice to see a different culture embracing and enjoying our film. Besides box office success, the enthusiasm and love that the Japanese fans have shown are quite extraordinary and exciting. They have been actively sharing fan arts, manga and videos on social media platforms and their blogs.”
Directed by SS Rajamouli, Baahubali: The Conclusion went on to collect Rs 1,700 crore worldwide. The film was produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under the banner Arka Media Works. A historical loaded with VFX, it is one of the costliest films ever to be made in the history of Indian cinema. The filmmakers had spent about Rs 450 crore jointly on Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion.
Starring Prabhas in the title role, the film also stars Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishnan, Rana Daggubati, Sathyaraj, Sudeep and others. MM Keeravani composed the music for this venture. Baahubali: The Conclusion was released in various languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.
The film was not only a success at the box office but also won several prestigious awards, including the Best Action Choreography, Best Special Effects and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at the 65th National Film Awards.
With Baahubali: The Conclusion doing well at the box office in Japan, it remains to be seen if it will manage to overtake Muthu to reach the first spot.
(Content provided by Digital Native)