Media365
A National Award-winning filmmaker Manoj Kumar remained jobless for five years before deciding to back a project he truly believed in. A romantic family drama that he wrote and directed, the film was made amid severe financial constraints, so much so that he once asked his mother to pawn her mangalsutra to keep the cameras rolling. Today, Premada Ooralli has earned Rs 73.96 crore worldwide and is inching closer to the Rs 100 crore milestone.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film, which released on September 25, collected Rs 4.5 crore on Day 20 across 1,372 shows, recording an occupancy of 52%. In just 20 days, the film has also drawn more than four million moviegoers to theatres.
The Kannada film recorded its highest single-day collection so far on its third Sunday, when it earned Rs 8 crore across 1,291 shows, with an occupancy rate of 83%.
On its opening day, however, Premada Ooralli had a modest start, with just 60 shows and a collection of Rs 9 lakh. With virtually no marketing budget, the opening was far from encouraging for the makers, particularly for a filmmaker whose career had already been on pause for years.
Producers didn’t want to risk their money backing Manoj Kumar
Despite winning the National Film Award for Akshi in 2021, filmmaker Manoj Kumar struggled to find producers willing to back his work. Many believed he would struggle to recover their investment, assuming that his films, known for their artistic approach, lacked commercial appeal.
Premada Ooralli was therefore more than just another film for Manoj Kumar. It was an attempt to prove that he could deliver a commercially successful entertainer without abandoning his filmmaking sensibilities.
With little money for publicity, the makers came up with an unconventional promotional strategy. They printed inexpensive invitation cards, travelled on public buses and auto-rickshaws, and invited people to watch their film, much like inviting guests to a wedding. All they wanted was for audiences to give their film a chance.
Story continues below this ad
The effort began to pay off almost immediately. On Day 2, the film’s collection doubled, and both its earnings and show count continued to rise. By Day 5, it had reportedly reached its breakeven point, beginning to generate profits from Day 6 onwards.
The film’s box-office momentum has since gathered pace, with its worldwide collection now standing at Rs 73.96 crore. Between Day 15 and Day 20 alone, it reportedly collected Rs 44 crore in India.
ALSO READ | Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 mania takes over theatres as fans dance, burst crackers. Watch
A film made with television actors becomes a huge success
Another striking aspect of the film’s success is its casting. Premada Ooralli does not feature established big-screen stars, with television actor Sriram playing the lead role. Ramika Shivu, also known for her television work, plays the female lead alongside Tapaswini Poonacha.
Story continues below this ad
As the film continues to perform at the box office, Manoj Kumar’s own journey is finally receiving the attention it deserves. Before becoming a National Award-winning filmmaker, he started his career at the very bottom of the film industry ladder.
Manoj Kumar started his career as a torch boy
Speaking at the success meet for Premada Ooralli, Manoj Kumar recalled how he arrived in Gandhinagar with dreams of entering the film industry but struggled to find work. He eventually joined Santosh Theatre as a torch boy, helping audiences find their seats during screenings.
“This is my 18-year-old dream. I came to Gandhinagar because I wanted to enter the film industry. But I could not find work, so I joined Santosh Theatre as a torch boy. I worked as a torch boy for several films, including Puneeth Rajkumar’s Arasu,” he said.
Premada Ooralli is the most profitable Kannada film with 30 times return
With Premada Ooralli, Manoj Kumar has delivered a remarkable box-office success on a reported budget of just Rs 2.5 crore. The film has emerged as one of the most profitable Kannada releases in recent times and is reportedly the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of the year, behind Toxic.
Story continues below this ad
The contrast between the two films is striking. While Toxic was reportedly made on a budget exceeding Rs 500 crore and has collected Rs 339.32 crore, Premada Ooralli has earned nearly 30 times its reported production budget.
Following the success of Kannada blockbusters such as KGF and Kantara, Premada Ooralli has emerged as the newest Kannada film making significant noise at the box office. The last small-budget Kannada film to earn widespread appreciation was Love Mocktail, which went on to collect around Rs 17 crore during its lifetime theatrical run. However, Premada Ooralli has far surpassed that benchmark, with its worldwide collection nearing Rs 74 crore in just 20 days.
