Bengaluru: Is the hype surrounding the Friday release of “Bahubali 2: The Conclusion” bigger than the one that preceded Rajnikanth-starrer Kabali?

Arguable. But 30 single-screen theatres that have opened the booking for the second part of the mythological action thriller have seen their box office jingling. Some of the theatres have jacked up the prices nearly three times and have planned their first show as early as 4 am.

With weeks-long protest and the state government announcing a new policy on ticket pricing, the multiplexes are yet to open advance booking, as on Tuesday evening.

“Urvashi Theatre near Lalbagh, the epicentre of Tamil movies, is starting the first show at 4 am on Friday. Not surprisingly, the theatre, where tickets are priced Rs 100 and Rs 200, is now charging a whopping Rs 600 for the balcony or platinum seats and Rs 500 and Rs 400 for the lower classes," said Mr Manjunath, a resident of Chamrajpet.

With 30 single-screen theatres, the number of shows on the first day for the Telugu version of the movie is over 130.

“The bandh talk, which kept the movie in news round-the-clock, has indeed helped its publicity. Now, it is not just about why Kattappa killed Bahubali, but the controversy prior to its release in the state that has infused curiosity among movie-goers. The new policy by the state government capping the price of movie tickets at Rs 200 could be one of the reasons there was uncertainty over the distribution rights. This time, the producers have, however, decided to release it themselves with local help," Mr Subramanya, a film critic said.

The latest twist in the tale is that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah might announce the ticketing policy on Thursday during the state film awards ceremony. If the new policy comes into effect from Thursday, the box office collections of Bahubali 2 is bound to suffer on later days. But for now, the first day collection itself is enought to all eyes are on the opening of pre-booking facilities by multiplexes in the city.