How Is Ustaad Performing Despite Dhurandhar 2’s Wave?

Cinema enthusiasts across the nation have been eagerly anticipating March 19 for the past few months due to the immense buzz surrounding Bollywood's highly anticipated sequel, Dhurandhar 2. Additionally, Telugu audiences are equally excited as Pawan Kalyan's long-postponed cop thriller, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, has also been scheduled for the same date at the last minute.

Capitalizing on Pawan Kalyan's massive fan base and strong box office appeal, Ustaad Bhagat Singh generated considerable buzz upon its release.

 Despite mixed feedback from both the audience and critics following the premieres, the film has recorded decent occupancy rates for evening and night shows from a trade perspective.

Although Dhurandhar 2 is generating massive interest at the ticket windows with its Hindi version across the country, including Telugu states, Ustaad Bhagat Singh has managed to register impressive footfalls on the opening day despite mixed reviews and relatively lower hype compared to Pawan Kalyan's previous releases.

 Reports indicate that the first day numbers could be quite promising due to strong walk-ins in mass centers.

Although the Telugu version of Dhurandhar 2 faced delays, the Hindi version is seeing an outstanding response in both Andhra and Telangana.

 However, Ustaad Bhagat Singh is performing well across all major territories. With no direct competition from other Telugu films, Harish Shankar's direction is expected to perform well during the first weekend, particularly benefiting from the Ramzan holiday.

Pawan Kalyan's standalone performance and a few elevated scenes in the second half are the only redeeming qualities of this film.

 Harish Shankar's formulaic storytelling is supported by a few signature punch dialogues that gave the film some level of momentum. These elements may help the film during the first weekend.

As the word-of-mouth is not entirely disappointing, Ustaad Bhagat Singh might experience good footfalls over the next three days and recover most of its investment.

 The real test begins from next Monday.