'Guntur Kaaram' advance booking: Mahesh Babu-starrer 'smashes' $350,000-mark in North America, says trade analyst

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu's upcoming release 'Guntur Kaaram' is expected to have a bumper opening at the North American box office, said a trade analyst on Friday. 

"Guntur Kaaram smashes the $350K mark in USA/CAN for opening day including premiers. Solid advance booking trend," said trade analyst Nishit Shaw on X platform (formerly Twitter).

The movie, which is releasing amid mega expectations due to the crazy combination of Mahesh Babu and director Trivikram Srinivas, is releasing on January 12 in India and January 11 in US and Canada. The duo had delivered cult classics like 'Athadu' and 'Khaleja' and are reuniting after 12 years. Mahesh Babu is returning to the big screen after one and a half years with 'Guntur Kaaram'.

Sacnilk, which tracks box office numbers, said the movie sold 12,500 tickets so far in North America. This is no mean achievement because the movie's trailer is yet to be released and will be unveiled on January 6. 

The film is touted to be an action drama and also stars Sreeleela, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishna, Jayaram, Prakashraj, and Sunil.

The movie, produced by Haarika & Hassine Creations, is yet to see its advance bookings open in the Telugu states as the producers are expecting hike in ticket prices in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The producers are also hoping for permission for 1 am shows to rake in as much as they can before the Sankranti releases pile up. Among Telugu movies, 'Guntur Kaaram' is competing with Venkatesh-starrer 'Saindhav', Nagarjuna-starrer 'Naa Saami Ranga' and Teja Sajja-starrer 'Hanuman'.