Salaar promotions dropped in other South states, here’s why Prabhas was advised not to be part of the events | Exclusive

One can argue that a film like Salaar: Part 1 Ceasefire, which is helmed by director Prashanth Neel and has Baahubali star Prabhas in the lead, might not need as much promotion as previous South blockbusters due to its hype. However, given that this is not how Hombale Films have gone about their previous blockbusters – the two KGF movies as well as Kantara, the scale of promotions for the upcoming film is low-key at best.

The team, which had pushed its release date from September 28 to December 22, had enough time to mount a pan-India level marketing and promotions with its star cast of Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran at the forefront. However, that didn’t quite pan out – with the team just sticking to pre-release interviews at Hyderabad, including a high-profile one with filmmaker SS Rajamouli.

Prabhas’ injury, reason for Salaar’s fewer promotional events?

OTTplay has learnt that there were plans for promotional events and interviews across all five South States but these were dropped earlier this month, on account of the lead actor’s injury. Our source tells us, “Prabhas can’t travel due to his leg injury and so, has only done interviews in Hyderabad.”

Also read: Salaar Ceasefire advance bookings opens to great response in limited screens in Bengaluru 

Prabhas’ knee injury, which he had sustained a few years ago during the shoot of Saaho, had been plaguing the actor for the past few years – with him taking time off for treatment. He had reportedly travelled to Spain for treatment in September and was also advised rest.

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Incidentally, his Salaar co-actor Prithviraj too had suffered an injury to his ligament in his leg during an action sequence for his upcoming movie Vilayath Buddha and had to undergo an emergency surgery. In a recent interview, the Malayalam actor mentioned that he too has been advised not to do any action sequences till June 2024, which is when he plans to film the stunt scenes for his character in L2: Empuraan.

Also read: Salaar maker Prashant Neel confirms KGF: Chapter 3 is still on cards; may not direct it 

Another reason for minimal promotions is also because Prithviraj’s schedule is packed, with L2: Empuraan getting delayed due to the injury and his portions in Bade Miyan Chotte Miyan and the upcoming Kayoze Irani directorial being pushed. The actor is expected to complete his portions in one of the films in Mumbai in the coming days.

Salaar vs Dunki at the box office

Despite the limited promotions, Salaar has already earned Rs 1 crore in advance ticket sales the weekend before its release. Its biggest competitor will be Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki, which has reportedly earned Rs 1.2 crore, as per trade analysts. While Dunki is set to hit theatres on December 21, Salaar will release a day later on December 22.