Salaar's Debut in Japan: A Promising Start with Room for Growth
Salaar, the Prabhas-led action epic, has made its presence felt in Japan, debuting as the third-highest opening weekend for an Indian film there in recent history. The film's release on July 5, nearly seven months after its initial release, has garnered a promising start.
Opening to nearly 200 locations, Salaar amassed 18.22 million JPY (US$113K) in its first weekend. This trails behind the formidable RRR (45 million JPY) and Saaho (23 million JPY), but it still marks a significant achievement.
Salaar has shown steady growth since its opening weekend, adding nearly 5 million JPY on Monday and Tuesday, bringing its total to 23 million JPY (US$142K). The film's first week is projected to reach approximately 28 million JPY, falling short of RRR's 75 million JPY and Saaho's 50 million JPY.
While the opening numbers fell slightly below expectations, given Prabhas's popularity from the Baahubali franchise, the release's wide distribution hinted at a stronger start. However, Japan's market is unpredictable, with films often enjoying extended runs and unexpected trends. Case in point: Baahubali 2's modest start (7 million JPY weekend) culminating in a staggering 350 million JPY gross, while RRR's weekend of 45 million JPY led to an astounding 2.4 billion JPY gross.
Salaar's initial social scores are more akin to Saaho, which saw decent performance in the market. However, it remains too soon to pass judgment, as further observation is required to determine whether the film can gain traction.
The influx of Indian films into Japan in recent years reflects the growing interest in Indian cinema there. The success of films like Salaar, RRR, and Baahubali 2 is carving out a niche for Indian cinema in the Japanese market and potentially paving the way for a sustained presence.
