‘Operation Valentine’, which marks Varun Tej’s Bollywood debut, is set to hit screens on March 1 much to the delight of his ardent fans. The historical action drama is expected to take a slow start in the Hindi market as the ‘Mega Prince’ is not a known name outside the Telugu states. According to Akshaye Rathi, an exhibitor, the first day collection will be around Rs 1 crore.
“Varun is a known name in the Telugu industry but this is his first release in Hindi, He has never had a First Day First Show release in the language even in the dubbed space. This is an introduction to him for the audience. I expect the collection to be around Rs 1 crore on the first day,” he told The Daily Guardian.
Rathi, however, feels Operation Valentine might grow over the weekend if it receives positive reviews.
“This is purely a word of mouth film. It needs positive talk to grow. That said, its core subject (the Balakot airstrikes of 2019) has the potential to resonate with everyone if the movie is well made,” said Rathi.
‘Operation Valentine’, directed by Shakti Pratap Singh Hada, centres on the 2019 Pulwama terrorist Attack by Pakistan and the retaliatory Balakot Air Strikes by the Indian Air Force. The Telugu-Hindi bilingual stars Manushi Chhillar as the leading lady and marks her Tollywood debut. The cast includes Navdeep, Ruhani Sharma and Mir Sarwar.
Chhillar made her Bollywood debut with ‘Samrat Prithviraj’, which failed to live up to expectations at the box office. ‘The Great Indian Family’, her second Hindi film, too sank without a trace.
Despite this, Rathi feels that she has the potential to make it big in the industry.
“She needs roles that give her the scope to showcase her range. Operation Valentine might benefit her in Telugu. There are very few bankable actresses in the industry and I come stars like her find success,” he said.
Operation Valentine is slated to release in theatres on March 1. It will clash at the box office with ‘Kaagaz 2’.