By Narendra Puppala Hyderabad 25 Aug : The long-running wait finally came to an end on Thursday when ‘Liger’ was released on the screens following an extensive tour of promotion across the country and a publicity campaign.
There’s much going on with this pan-India film for the lead actor Vijay Devarakonda, and co-producer Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.The past couple of days have put the film in the sights of the Boycott Bollywood brigade.
For the lead actor Vijay Devarakonda, ‘Liger’ is his first major film for his debut film Bollywood and pan-India viewers.
It follows the success of southern stars such as Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, NTR, and Yash who have made their mark in Bollywood, ‘Liger’s success is significant for the self-made Tollywood star that Vijay is.
Initial signs are positive enough with the film making a big splash in the US circuit, bringing joy to the fans and the film team.”Liger” Telugu version is now available in 274 theatres in America and the premiere shows are already running in some theaters in this crucial market in the world.
The film’s overseas distributors Sarigama Cinemas announced Thursday morning that “Liger” had already earned over 4.4 lakh US dollars on the back of the early morning and premiere programs in the US.
“#Liger USAPremiers $441,263 from 274 Locs at 6:50 pm PST” Sarigama Cinemas tweeted early Thursday morning.
In India the film will be shown in 3000 screens.according to sources in the trade there was a decent advance bookings for the release day.However, this is not surprising considering the hype surrounding the movie and Vijay’s cult following in the Telugu states.
While the critics have been appreciative of Vijay’s efforts to be a success in his position as a mixed martial art (MMA) fighter, they haven’t found much that isn’t on the radar in terms of screenplay and story are concerned.
An experienced film journalist in Hyderabad informed IANS that the story isn’t very appealing as it has nothing original in the story.”The leading role of of stammererer hasn’t been well-received with viewers,” he said.
Based on the posts in social media platforms the film appears to be struggling to make it through the box office in Telugu.This is likely to be the case in the market for pan-India.
Another alarm sound that is ringing, is the silence of the film’s crew after the initial performances of the day.In contrast to his confident attitude in the lead prior to the movie’s launch, Vijay Devarakonda seemed subdued on Thursday.There were no celebration scenes or praise on social mediaplatforms, the only question on everyone’s minds is: has “Liger” lost its plot?
While a clearer picture is expected to be revealed over the next few days after having spent three years on the film, Vijay Devarakonda and ‘Liger’ team will keep their fingers crossed until then.
“Liger” starring Vijay Devarakonda, Ananya Pandey and Ramya Krishna among others released on the 25th of August.
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