The distributor also picked up Gunmaaster G9 for over Rs 35 crore, betting that a wide national release will do for Rajinikanth's sequel what the 2023 original never managed in Hindi.
Pen Marudhar isn't slowing down. The distributor, fresh off handling Awarapan 2, has now picked up two more titles for north India: Gunmaaster G9 for upwards of Rs 35 crore, and the Hindi version of Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 for over Rs 15 crore, according to a trade source quoted by Bollywood Hungama.
The numbers tell their own story about where the company's confidence lies. Gunmaaster G9 reunites Pen Marudhar with Emraan Hashmi, whose Awarapan 2 the firm also released, and the bet is that goodwill carries over. The film, directed by Aditya Datt of Aashiq Banaya Aapne fame, also stars Genelia Deshmukh and Aparshakti Khurana and is set for a November 27 release.
Why Jailer 2 is a different wager
The first Jailer didn't exactly set Hindi screens on fire back in 2023. It ran into Gadar 2 and OMG 2 at the box office and, never got a proper national chain release. What saved the franchise's reputation up north was what happened after, wide consumption on OTT and satellite TV turned Jailer into something of a cult watch among Hindi audiences who'd missed it in theatres.
That's the gap Pen Marudhar is hoping to close with the sequel. The source told Bollywood Hungama that Jailer 2 is expected to get the national chain push its predecessor lacked, and that alone changes the calculation. A film that already has a built-in Hindi fanbase from television and streaming, now landing in multiplexes on day one, is a different proposition entirely.
The comparison the distributor is leaning on is Coolie. Rajinikanth's last release, also handled by Pen Marudhar in the northern belt, got a genuine multiplex spread and its Hindi version pulled in Rs 34 crore over its lifetime. If Jailer 2 can get anywhere close to that with a stronger theatrical footprint than its predecessor ever had, the Rs 15 crore outlay starts to look conservative.
Jailer 2 brings back Rajinikanth as Muthuvel Pandian, the retired jailer known simply as Tiger, with Vidya Balan and Mithun Chakraborty joining this time around. The film hits cinemas on October 15, and the Tamil Nadu promotional machinery around it has been running hot in the days leading up to that date, with single releases, an album launch and a trailer all stacked back to back.
Pen Marudhar's shopping spree doesn't stop here either. The company already has Love & War and King in its kitty, alongside Awarapan 2, which gave it the confidence to chase Gunmaaster G9 in the first place. Whether that aggression pays off comes down to two Fridays, November 27 for Gunmaaster G9 and whatever the opening weekend numbers for Jailer 2's Hindi version look like after October 15.
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.