When NTR signed ‘War 2’ immediately after gaining pan-India popularity with the sweeping success of SS Rajamouli’s RRR, his fans and some movie analysts perceived it as a tactical move by the actor to expand his market beyond South India and also to consolidate his newfound image in Bollywood further. Playing the second lead beside a Bollywood superstar like Hrithik Roshan is a gutsy move because not many heroes would attempt to do a multi-starrer due to the fear of getting dominated by the opposite actor. But, NTR chose to take the gamble again and portrayed the role of antagonist in the biggest action franchise of Indian cinema.

So, NTR will be facing a huge litmus test when War 2 releases all over this August 14th. The box office performance of this action spectacle will be gauged minutely to assess NTR’s pan-India popularity. While Telugu actors like Prabhas and Allu Arjun already proved their pan-India credentials by scoring big hits, NTR succeeded to some extent with Devara, if not completely. The Koratala Siva directional managed to amass close to 450 Crores gross worldwide. However, the Bollywood numbers were underwhelming and didn’t receive the expected footfalls in North India. In North America, Devara touched the $ 6 Million mark and ended as an average grosser despite getting a massive start from premieres.

While Devara didn’t face any tough competition at the box office and also saw heavy promotions from NTR himself, the story with War 2 is quite contrasting because there is hardly any promotional campaign from the production house. Moreover, War 2 faces stiff competition from Rajinikanth starrer Coolie which is set for an incredible opening at the box office. Also, NTR’s on-screen performance will be keenly observed. Matching Hrithik Roshan’s screen presence is no mean task and NTR will need to come up with his career best performance to avoid criticism from moviegoers and critics.

Furthermore, War 2 will need a solid performance in Telugu states and North America where NTR commands a strong market. Any underperformance will lead to a big debate about his box office clout in these two areas and also question his pan-India craze. Can NTR pass this test with distinction? Let’s wait for a few more days to find out.