Although it was initially stated that Rajinikanth played a guest role in 'Lal Salaam', in reality, it was an extended guest role.
Initially, the teaser, trailer, poster, and all promotional material projected it as a film starring Rajinikanth.
The film was directed by his own daughter, Aishwarya Rajinikanth. However, much to the surprise, the Telugu audience rejected the film, showing minimal interest.
The performance of any film at the box office with its content is a different matter.
When the film failed to draw any significant numbers in terms of openings, with shows being canceled at many screens, it sent shockwaves to the distributors who relied on the star power of Rajinikanth.
According to a distributor, the total box office collection in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined is just Rs 1 crore so far.
Despite coming to the screen after the blockbuster 'Jailer', Rajinikanth couldn't attract an audience to 'Lal Salaam'.
It's worth noting that 'Jailer' garnered more than Rs 30 crores in net collections in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
'Lal Salaam' presents an interesting case study as to why it failed to attract audiences despite having a superstar in the lead.
In fact, the film's content was rejected by the few audience who did watch it, resulting in no further collections.
