Dil Raju is going through a tough phase, with his own productions underperforming and distributed films also running into losses. The impact is now visible in a place trade circles didn’t expect: the Telugu rights race for Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2.
The Toxic Hangover
The bigger drag has come from Toxic. Dil Raju paid a huge advance to acquire the film’s Telugu States rights, but the film failed miserably at the box office, leaving a deficit that will take time to settle. This financial strain appears to be keeping him out of the Jailer 2 rights race.
A Rare Miss for the Dil Raju–Sun Pictures Combine
Normally, when it comes to Sun Pictures films, the Dil Raju–Asian–Suresh combine has been the go-to buyer for Telugu States rights, and Dil Raju was involved in both Jailer and Coolie previously. Jailer was a massive blockbuster, collecting ₹86 Cr gross in the Telugu states alone.
For Jailer 2, Sun Pictures isn’t quoting anywhere close to the prices seen for Toxic or KGF 2, and the asking price stands at around ₹55 Cr, with room for negotiation. That’s a feasible number, since Jailer 2 only needs to cross roughly ₹100 Cr gross in the Telugu states to break even, a target well within reach given the film’s talk. Even with the price being reasonable, Dil Raju has stayed out of this one.
Naga Vamsi Emerges as the Frontrunner
With Dil Raju out of the picture, negotiations are now centred on Naga Vamsi, with the deal said to be almost closed.
