Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh Box Office Pre-Sales in North America
Add BoxOfficeWala on Google
Get the most accurate box office data and movie results directly in your search feed.
Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh: Will the North America Pre-Sales Cross $1M?
Pawan Kalyan is back to the big screens this March 19 and the North America premiere bookings are finally open. As of Monday, March 9, 2026, the early trade estimates show Ustaad Bhagat Singh has crossed the $80,000 mark in premiere pre-sales. The film is currently tracking towards the $100,000 milestone with about ten days left for the massive premiere shows.
While the number looks decent on paper, it is a far cry from the historic rampage we usually associate with the Power Star in the overseas market.
This film is not just another release for the Tollywood trade. It marks the return of the iconic Gabbar Singh duo, Pawan Kalyan and director Harish Shankar. Fans have been waiting years to see this combination recreate that 2012 magic. But the ground reality in North America is currently a bit tense.
We are seeing a direct clash with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2, which is also arriving on the same date. Usually, a Pawan Kalyan film dominates the screens, but this time, the competition is eating into the show counts and the initial curiosity.
You have to look at the numbers through a very specific lens. If you compare this to Pawan Kalyan’s previous outing, They Call Him OG, which shattered records with a $3.1 million premiere in 2025, the current $80K figure feels like a whisper.
Is the North America audience becoming picky about remakes?
Ustaad Bhagat Singh is an adaptation of the Tamil hit Theri. Even though Harish Shankar has promised a completely fresh Telugu commercial treatment, the “remake” tag might be acting as a silent speed breaker for the elite US audience. They want original content, and the Power Star’s stardom is being tested against a script they might already know.
According to OUR tracking, the film has managed to collect approximately $62,000 from 151 locations across 508 shows so far. This represents about 2,280 tickets sold in the initial phase. These are early days because major theatre chains like AMC have listed the shows but haven’t fully opened all the bookings yet.
Once those prime-time slots go live, we expect a significant jump. The distribution data suggests that the momentum is currently concentrated in major Telugu hubs, but the neutral audience is still sitting on the fence.
👇 Receive Box Office Updates, sent directly to your device by your personal Box Office Insider. 👇
👇 Join the inner circle 👇
The technical crew is doing its part to keep the hype alive. Devi Sri Prasad is handling the songs while Thaman S is working on a high-octane background score. This dual-composer strategy is rare and shows the scale Mythri Movie Makers is aiming for. However, the occupancy rates in the early morning premiere slots are still in the single digits for many suburban locations. This is unusual for a Harish Shankar film, which usually triggers an instant sell-out in the mass-heavy pockets of the USA.
The next few days are critical. Director Harish Shankar is reportedly readying a massive theatrical trailer to drop soon. In the trade, we call this the “Trailer Spike.” If that trailer hits the right emotional notes and showcases the “Ustaad” swag that fans crave, those $80K pre-sales could double overnight. The film is coinciding with the Ugadi festival period, which is a massive plus for family audiences. But they won’t step out unless the “must-watch” factor is established through the promotional material.
Everything now rests on the final trailer and the domestic buzz from the Telugu states. If the trailer creates a rampage, we are looking at a $500K premiere easily. If it remains flat, reaching the $1 million mark for the opening weekend might become a uphill battle. The Power Star has the pull, but even he needs a strong wind to sail in this competitive March window.
This is a very mixed bag for the trade. On one hand, crossing $80K with ten days to go is a “steady start” for any other actor. But for Pawan Kalyan, who just gave a $3M premiere recently, this feels like an underperformance. The clash with Dhurandhar 2 is real and it’s hurting the screen allocation. The remake factor is definitely playing a role here. My expert take? It’s bad news if the numbers don’t touch $250K by the end of this week. The audience is waiting for that one “high” moment in the trailer to hit the “book” button.
Do you think Pawan Kalyan can beat the “remake curse” and cross $1 Million in North America this time?