Baahubali 2: The Conclusion tickets sold out as Rajamouli's epic sees record advance bookings

In July 2016, as serpentine queues were spotted outside the advance booking windows of every theatre across Chennai city, it was thought that nothing would match the pre-release hysteria or records for superstar Rajinikanth's Kabali.

Less than a year later, the mania for Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has made Kabali's records seem like a distant memory.

While non-crucial centres like Mumbai and Delhi still have tickets for Baahubali 2 in the major multiplexes available for sale, the scene is vastly different in the south.

Prabhas and Rana Daggubati reprise their roles in Baahubali 2

Trade expert Sreedhar Pillai had reported for Firstpost how the advance booking numbers for Baahubali 2 had broken all previous records.

In Chennai, advance booking began in the wee hours of 26 April — and within the space of hours, most shows were sold out till 2 May. Theatre owners said they were trying to squeeze in extra screenings to accommodate the unprecedented demand. However, the run time of Baahubali 2 (clocking in at a little over two hours and 48 minutes) would make this difficult.

Releasing in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, the crunch for tickets is being observed despite the fact that Baahubali 2 has got a tally of 9000 screens worldwide — the highest ever screen count for a Indian film.

The rush for tickets has led to huge fluctuations in prices.

DNA reported that in Delhi, some theatres were charging between Rs 1800-2000 for Baahubali 2 tickets over the first weekend.

In other places, like Karnataka, the government had imposed a cap of Rs 200 for ticket prices — in what is bound to come as major relief for fans in one of the core territories.

On Thursday, 27 April, BookMyShow was offering special discounts on Baahubali 2 tickets: Rs 125 off on using the promo code BMS125 (on purchase of two tickets). Paytm users were offered a Rs 100 cashback on a minimum booking of two tickets, along with the promo code BAAHUBALI.

Discounts on Baahubali 2 tickets on Book My Show

However, the discounts might possibly benefit only those fans in cities like Mumbai, where tickets for Baahubali 2 are still available.

In the heart of Baahubali territory — the city of Hyderabad — there are no tickets available for purchase.

Take a look at the scene over Thursday, 27 April (where a few preview shows are being held) to Friday, 28 April:

The scene on Saturday, 29 April, is no better — and the state of affairs continues right through the weekend, up to Monday, 1 May:

The Cinepolis website shot us this message when we tried to book tickets for Baahubali 2 at Mantra Mall.

And PVR in Hyderabad had no solace to offer:

For fans who haven't already got their hands on Baahubali 2 tickets, there's going to be a wait that lasts at least the whole of this first weekend, in store.