Pawan Kalyan’s much-awaited They Call Him OG is yet to reach theatres, but the box office counters are already in overdrive. By Wednesday evening, according to Sacnilk, the film had sold 6.3 lakh tickets across territories, estimating an opening of around Rs 75 crore.

Directed by Sujeeth, the gangster saga has already surpassed the pre-release numbers of Kalyan’s earlier outings. His previous best, Hari Hara Veera Mallu, opened to roughly Rs 67 crore worldwide, but OG appears set to double that figure if momentum continues. 

Advance bookings have been particularly strong in India, where the film has raked in around Rs 45 crore, and in overseas markets, where premieres and pre-sales have brought in another Rs 30 crore. With paid shows scheduled from late Wednesday night in select centres, OG is poised to become Pawan Kalyan’s career-best opener within hours of release.

OG sees Kalyan in a feral new avatar as Ojas Gambheera, a gangster emerging from exile to take on the rising underworld figure Omi Bhau, played by Emraan Hashmi in his Telugu debut. Priyanka Mohan plays Kanmani, while the supporting cast includes Prakash Raj, Sriya Reddy, Arjun Das, Shaam and Harish Uthaman.

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Bombay, the story unfolds amidst political games, gangland wars and personal vendettas. Sujeeth’s vision is backed by Ravi K Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa behind the camera, Thaman S on music, Navin Nooli on editing and AS Prakash handling production design.

Produced by DVV Entertainment, They Call Him OG releases worldwide on September 25, with paid premieres rolling out on September 24. Whether the opening day ends closer to Rs 75 crore or scales higher, the film is already certain to be marked as Pawan Kalyan’s most dominant start at the box office.