'Indian 2': Trade experts feel the film needs more promotions in North India to be a success | Exclusive

Kamal Haasan and Shankar return with 'Indian 2' after 28 years. 'Indian', which released in 1996, impressed the box office in a big way. So, will the combination of the showman Shankar and Kamal Haasan create magic at the box office? The trade speaks about 'Indian 2', which releases on the back of 'Kalki 2898 AD', still roaring at the box office.
Trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai feels one cannot predict the film's opening, as rain is a factor that could impact it.He said, "The previous film has done well. I really cannot predict the opening of the film; nobody can say anything. It is raining in many parts of the country, so it won't be fair to speak about the opening of the film. Besides, his last film 'Vikram' was a huge hit, which will assure a good opening for 'Indian 2'."
He added, "It has good prospects at the moment, but we will really have to wait and watch. Part 1 was a proven hit, but the audience has changed so much; I don't know how they are going to take a 3-hour film. We will have to wait and see what the transformation is. Kamal Haasan is a big star and Shankar is the biggest showman in Indian cinema; the combination has worked previously, so fingers crossed, hopefully, it will work. 'Vikram' being a hit will create an opening for 'Indian 2'. You can't predict the box office today like you used to in the past, especially in the rainy season."
There are some in the trade who stated 'Indian 2' is low on publicity, and therefore, no buzz has been created in the northern area of the country. Exhibitor and distributor Raj Bansal said, "It looks like an average type of film; it has recall value and will benefit from that. It had poor publicity, hence no buzz about the film releasing this week."
When told Kamal Haasan is a huge star, to which Bansal said, "Kamal Haasan may be Kamal Haasan, but he does not work well in North India. Except for one or two films, none of his films have done well in North India. He is one of the finest actors down South; unfortunately, he is not very commercial up North."
Manoj Desai is quite upbeat about 'Indian 2', as 'Indian' had done well at the box office, but said, "Indian had done well with our audience. But these days, we cannot predict anything; we still haven't got the programming of the film, and I feel it should do well. But then there is Akshay Kumar's film 'Sarfira' also releasing on the same day. Expecting good business from both the films, and in the end, content... And yeh public hai sab jaanti hai."
Exhibitor and trade expert Akshaye Rathi is quite excited about 'Indian 2'. He shared, "The first Hindustani (Indian) is an iconic film that multiple generations have grown up on. And to add to that, the form in which Mr. Kamal Haasan is in after 'Vikram' and soon after that, what he did in 'Kalki 2898 AD', he is red hot property for the audiences. And add to that, Shankar who knows how to create a big screen spectacle, it is a classic recipe for fireworks at the box office."
He further added, "In Tamil, I have no doubt it will go ballistic, but in Hindi, it will depend on how much resonance it gets. Also, publicity so far for the Hindi version is not what it deserves. But we're still a few days away, and I'm sure they will push the accelerator now. Fingers crossed that Shankar delivers the goodies as he always does at the box office."