Almost every opening record Baahubali 2 set in 2017 has been broken by now, territory by territory. But one record still stands untouched: its overseas opening. Baahubali 2 opened with close to $10.5M overseas on its first day, becoming the first and only Indian film to cross the $10M mark in overseas on opening day. Nine years later, no film has even reached that number.
With Jailer 2 now set to fall well short as well, the only film that looks capable of breaking it is SS Rajamouli’s own next, Varanasi.
The Record No One Can Reach
When Baahubali 2 released in April 2017, it opened massively in every territory. Over the years, bigger films have broken its numbers one by one in different markets. But in overseas, the $10.5M opening day remains the benchmark.
Several big films have tried and fallen short:
- RRR: Close to $8M
- Pushpa 2: Close to $8M
- Kalki 2898 AD: Close to $8M
- Leo: $8M+
- Coolie: $8.75M
Even Rajamouli’s own RRR, the massive sequel Pushpa 2 and Kalki 2898 AD, one of the biggest-budget films in Indian cinema, all landed around the $8M range. From Kollywood, Leo and Coolie both opened above $8M, but neither could get close to $10M.
Jailer 2 Was the Next Hope
There were expectations that Jailer 2 could be the film to finally break the record. Rajinikanth’s Coolie opened with $8.75M overseas despite competition from War 2, and Jailer 2, as the sequel to a blockbuster that worked in every overseas market, looked like the strongest contender.
But Jailer 2 failed to build the buzz it needed. The songs and trailer did not meet expectations, and the advance bookings reflect that. With only a few hours to go before the first shows, overseas pre-sales stand at around $3.1M, and the film is trending towards an overseas opening in the $6M range.
Forget the $10M record. At the current trend, Jailer 2 is not even getting close to Coolie’s $8.75M.
Varanasi: The Clear Favourite
Among the upcoming films, Varanasi is the one with a clear chance of breaking Baahubali 2’s record, and it would be fitting if the record fell to a Rajamouli film.
Three things put Varanasi ahead of every other contender.
The first is the anticipation. The film’s first glimpse, unveiled at a grand event in Hyderabad, created massive excitement, and Rajamouli has since called it his most ambitious film ever.
The second is scale. Varanasi is one of the biggest-budget films in Indian cinema, built as a globetrotting adventure with a major Ramayana episode, and shot for IMAX.
The third, and perhaps the biggest, is Mahesh Babu. Overseas is undoubtedly the Superstar’s strongest box office territory. His films have consistently posted some of the biggest premieres for Telugu cinema in the USA, and his fan base abroad is among the strongest of any Indian star.
Combine Rajamouli’s global reach after RRR, Mahesh Babu’s overseas pull and the scale of the film, and Varanasi has everything needed to finally go past $10M.
Ten Years Later?
Varanasi releases worldwide on April 7, 2027, almost exactly ten years after Baahubali 2. If it breaks the record, Rajamouli will have set the benchmark and then broken it himself, a decade apart.
