Paid premieres on the previous night have recently become a trend for big Telugu films. What earlier worked mainly as a promotional tool for small movies started becoming common for star driven projects after the success wave of Pushpa 2. Several big films began planning late night premiere shows with premium ticket prices.
However, industry circles believe that these shows sometimes cause more damage than benefit. When talk starts a night early, even slightly mixed reactions can quickly turn into strong negative buzz through social media and fan wars.
Against this backdrop, Ustaad Bhagat Singh starring Pawan Kalyan is reportedly opting for a different strategy. Instead of late night premieres, the makers are planning early morning benefit shows in the old style. In Andhra Pradesh, the film is expected to begin screenings between 4 am and 5 am on release day with ticket prices around Rs 500.
This shift is not just about controlling early talk. The film currently carries moderate buzz, and there is also a practical scheduling factor. Premiere shows for Dhurandhar 2 are expected to begin around 5 pm on the previous day.
If Ustaad Bhagat Singh had gone ahead with its earlier plan of 10 pm premieres, theatres could have faced time constraints and movie lovers also feel exhausted for that much long hours.
Because of this, the team appears to have moved towards early morning shows. If this plan works well, it could become a safer alternative for big films.
With morning shows starting quickly on release day, even mixed reviews may not damage the film much. If the strategy succeeds, more films may consider skipping night premieres and returning to early morning benefit shows.
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