Ponniyin Selvan 2 will be Tamil cinema's first Rs 1000 crore movie: Leo producer SS Lalit Kumar

The Indian movie market has seen a massive shift in the benchmark for box office success since the release of Baahubali 2. With the new standard set at Rs 1000 crore, many filmmakers are vying to create the next blockbuster that will shatter records. The Kannada film industry surprised everyone with KGF 2, which grossed over Rs 1000 crore worldwide, and now, the Tamil film industry is looking to achieve the same feat.

At a panel discussion at CII Dakshin, producers SS Lalit Kumar, TG Thyagarajan, Chaluve Gowda, and K. E. Gnanavel Raja expressed their confidence in the upcoming release of Ponnyin Selvan 2. The film is directed by the renowned filmmaker Mani Ratnam and is the much-awaited sequel to his previous hit movie, Ponnyin Selvan.

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Lalit, who is bankrolling the pan-India movie Leo, stated that he was confident that Ponniyin Selvan 2 would collect Rs 1000 crore at the box office. He also added that while it was too early to say how much Leo would make, he was sure that PS 2 would be a game-changer for Tamil cinema. 

Currently, the Tamil film industry has not been able to produce a movie that would reach the coveted Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office. However, with the release of Ponniyin Selvan 2, the industry is hoping to break the jinx.

"PS 2 is the most expected movie. It's expected to collect double the amount of its prequel. PS 1 already holds the number 1 spot at the Tamil Nadu box office. And we are sure that PS2 will overtake its collection," Laith added. PS 1 had collected close to Rs 500 crore in its global ticket sales. 

Thyagarajan echoed Lalit's sentiment and said that PS 2 would set a new record for Tamil cinema. "PS2 will set a new record for Tamil cinema," he added. "The next Rs 1000 crore movie did not necessarily have to come from southern India. It could come from other regions like Bengal or Maharashtra." His statement suggests that the race to create the next blockbuster is not restricted to any particular region.

Thyagarajan is also bankrolling a pan-India film titled Capation Miller, which is headlined by Dhanush.

Ponniyin Selvan 2 is due in cinemas on April 28.