Victory Venkatesh and director Anil Ravipudi’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam has already crossed $2 million in the US, taking just seven days to achieve this milestone. However, there’s more to the story behind this film becoming a quick money-spinner in the US.
Shloka Entertainments the U.S. distributor implemented a strategic move by significantly reducing ticket prices to $10–$12 for Sankranthiki Vasthunam.
Also Read – Director Proves his Cult Following: Historic Start
This affordable pricing made it convenient for families in the US to watch the film together. In recent years, due to the rise of Pan-India films and buzzworthy small films, ticket prices in the US had increased significantly, discouraging families from visiting theaters. As a result, US theaters predominantly saw attendance from students and bachelors rather than families.
The U.S. distributor Shloka did not get greedy and lowered the ticket rates. Remember, Venkatesh is not a small hero, and it would have been tempting to keep the rates higher after seeing all the positivity in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Also Read – Ravipudi Confirms Template Making a Comeback
In this case, the reasonable ticket pricing turned Sankranthiki Vasthunam into an instant favorite. Additionally, the positive buzz and strong numbers from India contributed to the film’s positive appeal in the US. This pricing strategy also ensured that audiences didn’t wait for Sankranthiki Vasthunam to release on OTT.
If ticket prices had been higher, a section of U.S. audiences would have surely opted to wait for its OTT release.
Also Read – SV Sensation Bulliraju: Shameful Behavior of Fans
Despite freezing temperatures, Sunday’s snowstorm and the ongoing first snowstorm of the season, the Sankranthiki Vasthunam still managed to pull in over $300K on Sunday shows how this pricing strategy worked big time. With Monday being a national holiday, the strong performance is expected to continue into the second week.
This clearly highlights the effectiveness of Shloka Entertainments’ pricing strategy. Hopefully, more distributors will adopt this approach in the future.
