Ponniyin Selvan 2 v/s Agent in Karnataka: Mani Ratnam's epic to eclipse Akhil Akkineni starrer?

The final Friday of April 2023 promises a slew of exciting releases with some of the biggest filmmakers and actors gracing the silver screen. For the Kannada moviegoers Navarasa Nayaka Jaggesh and co. bring the comedy-drama Raghavendra Stores which has been directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Hombale Films. This would be the first release of 2023 for the KGF 2 and Kantara makers and a lot of expectations are currently pinned on it. 

Clashing with Raghavendra Stores are two starkly contrasting 'non-Kannada' films in the form of Ponniyin Selvan 2 and Agent. The former, which comes as the second and final instalment of the epic saga conceived by Mani Ratnam, is arguably the biggest release of the work with Agent, the sole Telugu release of the week, expected to offer the film some stiff competition. The Karnataka box office has always proven conducive for non-Kannada films and the capital city of Bengaluru, in particular, has often seen Tamil and Telugu releases thrive better than the local Kannada films. While Raghavendra Stores boasts its own niche across Karnataka, one would be keen to know how Ponniyin Selvan 2 or PS 2 and Agent fare in this market.

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PS 2: No special shows for the magnum opus in Tamil Nadu. Will it be able to surpass PS 1 opening on day one? 

The advance bookings, though, strongly suggest that Mani Ratnam's period film is likely to emerge the winner in this mini Karnataka battle against Agent. As of April 26 and less than 48 hours remaining for the films to arrive in cinema halls, PS 2 has close to 250 shows to its name in Bengaluru alone with the original Tamil version of the film commanding about 240 shows (including 20 IMAX shows). The release of the film has largely been 'region specific', although some of the key regions of Karnataka are likely to witness a sparing number of shows of the Kannada dubbed version. Advance bookings are yet to open in a full-fledged manner in other main centres of Karnataka such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Hubballi, etc.

As far as Agent is concerned, the film will be releasing in Telugu all over with Malayalam shows planned for select areas. In Karnataka, however, the film is likely to be eclipsed by the PS 2 mania and as of Wednesday, April 26, the Akhil Akkineni starrer has less than 40 shows to its name in Bengaluru.