‘Salaar’ Gets Netflix Release Date After Blockbuster Theatrical Run

Less than a month after its theatrical debut, the Indian Telugu-language blockbuster film, Salaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire, has landed a Netflix release date. The action epic, starring Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran as childhood best friends caught in a gang war, will be released on the streamer on January 20. Although it’s still playing in theaters (in very limited release), Salaar essentially concluded its run as the fourth-biggest Indian blockbuster of 2023.

Netflix announced the film’s arrival on the service on Friday, with an extended four-minute trailer that should give anybody that couldn’t catch the film theatrically an idea of the densely plotted, hyper-violent alternate reality that director Prashanth Neel has created. Best known for the two KGF movies — KGF: Chapter 2 was the biggest Indian film of 2022, grossing more globally than even RRR — Salaar retains the filmmaker’s grunge aesthetic and penchant for exposition-heavy storytelling.

Salaar marked the long-awaited return to form for Prabhas, who is best known for starring in the two Baahubali films — Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion — directed by S.S. Rajamouli. But he was experiencing a sustained period of disappointment prior to Salaar’s release. In the six years since Baahubali 2, Prabhas headlined the science-fiction thriller Saaho, the romantic epic Radhe Shyam, and the mythological film Adipurush. Among the three most expensive Indian films ever produced, their failure raised questions about his bankability.

Telugu-Language Action Films Aren’t Like Anything Else

But his collaboration with the hit-maker Neel paid off. Salaar grossed over $85 million worldwide, and ranks behind the three Hindi-language hits Animal ($108 million), Pathaan ($130 million) and Jawan ($138 million). The film was released alongside the third Shah Rukh Khan-starrer of 2023 — Dunki — and handily outperformed the comedy drama both in India and internationally. In domestic theaters, Salaar debuted to over $5 million in its first weekend, and eventually grossed around $9 million. Baahubali 2 remains the highest-grossing Indian film in North America, having made $20 million in 2017.

Salaar currently sits at a “fresh” 76% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with praise being directed at the over-the-top action set-pieces, while Neel’s habit of relying on exposition received some criticism. Salaar is intended to start a new franchise, with a second installment titled Salaar: Part 2 – Shouryaanga Parvam having already been announced. But before that, Prabhas will headline the dystopian action film Kalki 2898 AD, reportedly the most expensive Indian film ever produced. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.