Box Office: Will Shah Rukh's 'Happy New Year' Repeat 'Chennai Express' Success in South?

The much-awaited Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer "Happy New Year" is all set for a worldwide release on 24 October. According to latest reports, the film will release on 6,000 screens the world over.

The film's Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions will release on the same day. The heist drama, set in Dubai, is carrying a massive pre-release buzz. The successful combination of SRK-Deepika Padukone is back for the third time, post the stupendous success of "Om Shanti Om" (2007) and "Chennai Express" (2013).

A host of other stars including Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Vivan Shah and Sonu Sood are also set to entertain the audience in "Happy New Year." The film is directed by Farah Khan, who had two big hits in "Main Hoon Na" (2004) and "Om Shanti Om", both of which had SRK in the lead role.

The song videos and the trailer have generated a lot of expectations surrounding the project, and it is likely to take grand openings worldwide. The SRK starrer is expected to open well in Tamil Nadu-Kerala area as well.

The Tamil Nadu and Kerala area (TK) were of the least priority for Bollywood films once, as they got low shares from these areas, compared to other domestic markets. But the success of "Chennai Express" during the 2013 Eid has opened a new market for Bollywood films in south, stated entertainment industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai in his report on First Post.

"Chennai Express" minted ₹8.55 crore in 18 days from the TK area. It turned out to be a huge blockbuster at the box office. Several factors worked in favour of "Chennai Express" and helped the film fetch grand collections.

The SRK starrer had a strong south flavour, and some of the actors were from the south, including Sathyraj and Mohan Raman among others. The film also had a tribute sone - Lungi dance - for superstar Rajinikanth.

All these elements and the film's promotions worked big time in favour of the project. Moreover, the delay in the release of Vijay's "Thalaivaa" in Tamil Nadu, due to some controversy, also worked in favour of "Chennai Express". Several "Thalaivaa" screens were alloted for "Chennai Express" due to its delay.

SRK and Vijay are set to clash at the box office this time as well. Vijay starrer "Kaththi" is also facing issues with some Tamil groups, who are protesting against the film's release as they claim that the producers are linked to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. There is a buzz that "Kaththi" release might get delayed but the makers are confident that the Vijay starrer will release on 22 October.

If the film hits the screens as planned, it will pose a big competition for "Happy New Year" in the TK area. On the other hand, if it fails to release on the scheduled date, "Happy New Year" might have an advantage, and can use the opportunity to grab a good number of screens and do well at the box office. It will be interesting to see if the SRK starrer repeats the success of "Chennai Express" this Diwali.