Ramu’s Sarkar Raj turns out to be the first film (a number of hyped movies will follow in the coming weeks including Yash Raj’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Love Story 2050) to fill the vacuum created in the Hindi box office over the past few weeks, which were gripped by the exciting IPL.

When asked whether he hopes to bounce back with his next release, Varma hides his anxiety with sarcasm: “I’m not a ball that I will bounce back. Sarkar Raj is just another film for me. It is for the audience to watch and decide.”

However, Varma made sure to get everything right this time. The release date was reportedly postponed—it was supposed to be launched early this year (though he has denied this). Also, the film brings together the famous Bachchan family (Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai) for the first time. The first look was unveiled with a lot of fanfare recently and it was followed by a star-studded music launch.

The promos have been received well, and Sarkar Raj is likely to sail easily through the opening weekend, banking alone on the star power of the Bachchans. “The film will turn out to be a safe bet for distributors if the collections over the opening weekend are satisfactory,” says trade analyst Amod Mehra.

The rights for distribution of Sarkar Raj, made on an estimated Rs 28 crore-plus budget, has been purchased by Balaji Telefilms from the initial buyer Adlabs Films. “The costs of production and distribution are much higher. We need at least a good two weeks’ run to be satisfied,” says Nandu Ahuja of Balaji Telefilms.

The movie will open with 400-plus prints across India. Varma will not lose much (apart from, of course, his credibility) if Sarkar Raj fails to have a decent run since he was offered a huge amount for the movie despite the failure of his last few films. “I can’t disclose the budget and any other details because I don’t look into the accounts,” says Varma. “All I can say is that it is a far more complex film than Sarkar.”