Will Pradeep Score a 100 Crore Hattrick with Dude?

Pradeep Ranganathan made his directorial debut with Comali, starring Jayam Ravi and Kajal Aggarwal. The film was a box office success. Before directing, Pradeep was known for making short films.

He later made his acting debut as a lead with Love Today, a romantic comedy released in 2022. The film earned 100 crores at the box office. It also established Pradeep as a popular actor and encouraged him to continue acting.

Earlier this year, his second film as a lead, Dragon, released. This coming-of-age drama appealed to youth and families. It also crossed the 100 crore mark. With two back-to-back hits, expectations for his next film were high.

His third film as a lead, Dude, a romantic drama directed by Keerthiswaran, released on Friday. The film received positive word of mouth from audiences.

Dude had a strong opening at the box office, grossing around 20 crores on its first day. This is three times the opening of Love Today and twice that of Dragon. By the end of Saturday, the total reached around 40 crores in two days. With Sunday and Monday being part of the Diwali weekend, the film is expected to perform even better.

If Dude reaches 100 crores, it would be a major achievement. Outside of superstar films, Pradeep is one of the few medium-range actors to reach this milestone.

On the professional front, Pradeep’s next film, LIK, a sci-fi romantic comedy directed by Vignesh Shivan, is scheduled for release on December 18. Dude is produced by Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar under Mythri Movie Makers. The cast includes Pradeep Ranganathan, Mamitha Baiju, R. Sarath Kumar, Hridhu Haroon, and others. Music is by Sai Abhynkar.