Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 13, 2017)

After Baahubali 2: The Conclusion shattered a number of box-office records, Shankar’s much-anticipated 2.0, is all set to take the legacy forward. The film stars two superstars, Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, with the latter playing the antagonist. Distributors and trade pundits are expecting this to be one of the biggest openers of 2018.

Needless to say, the makers of 2.0 were trying to cash in on the box-office precedent set by Baahubali 2. Says a source from the trade, “2.0 makers wanted over Rs 100 crore. But the distributors weren’t too keen on paying the exorbitant amount because that would make the film risky.”

After several rounds of negotiations, the deal is almost closed now. The 2.0 team has agreed to sell their Hindi theatrical rights for Rs 80 crore. “The exhibitors are sure that they won’t lose money on the price, since Akshay’s presence will give it a pan-India reach,” states the source.

The satellite rights of the film have been bought by Zee at a whopping Rs 110 crore. With Rs 80 crore from the theatrical rights, for the Hindi version alone means the producers have already recovered around Rs 200 crore of their investment.