Allu Arjun’s Raaka sparks bidding war for distribution rights in UP, Bihar; 'unprecedented price' quoted | Exclusive

Allu Arjun's Raaka is on course to breaking records a year ahead of its release with unprecedented demand for distribution rights in the north.

Allu Arjun’s Raaka is shattering records months before it even hits the screens. The pan-India film, which marks the Telugu superstar’s first collaboration with Tamil hitmaker Atlee, is now attracting unprecedented interest from distributors in Bihar, a region where Arjun has amassed a huge fan following in recent years.

Allu Arjun stars in Atlee's Raaka.

Raaka sees unprecedented demand in Bihar

A source close to the film tells us, “Several distributors from the Bihar region have approached the makers of Raaka to acquire the exclusive territorial rights for the state at an unprecedented price.” Raaka stars Allu Arjun opposite Deepika Padukone. The Atlee directorial was initially being referred to as AA22 X A6 (on account of being Arjun’s 22nd and Atlee’s 6th film). The title was announced earlier this month, along with the lead star’s intriguing first look.

While Raaka is being made in Telugu, it will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. The film's interest in Bihar and other regions of the Hindi belt is understandable, given Arjun’s immense popularity there. Our source adds, “Allu Arjun enjoys one of the most loyal fan bases in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. His last film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, performed exceptionally well in these regions and even led to the reopening of several theatres due to phenomenal demand.”

Pushpa's immense craze in the North

Pushpa: The Rise was originally released in just Telugu before its craze in the North prompted the makers to release a Hindi dub, which went on to gross over ₹100 crore on its own, largely on the back of a stellar run in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This led Arjun to launch the trailer of the sequel, Pushpa 2, in Patna. The film was an even bigger success in the north, earning ₹812 crore in Hindi alone. “The distribution circle is expecting a similar reception for Allu Arjun with Raaka,” says our source.

About Raaka

Directed by Atlee, Raaka is backed by Sun Pictures. The film is expected to hit the screens in 2027.

In October last year, when Atlee directed Ranveer Singh in an ad, the actor spoke to the press about the film. He said, “I happened to visit him on the set of his current film because my wife was shooting with him. You may have heard this before, but you can hear it from me — he is creating something you’ve never experienced or seen in Indian cinema before.”