'K.G.F: Chapter 2' continues regional movie trend, is a hit on day one

First-day total domestic collection pegged at Rs 110 crore at least. Hindi-version collection at Rs 40 crore, say experts

Films made in south India are the flavour of the season, with the second installment of the K.G.F franchise likely to shatter records the day it was released. The movie hit theatres on Thursday in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. 

Initial estimates by multiplex industry sources suggest that the film starring a mix of Bollywood and southern stars is likely to see total domestic box-office collections of Rs 110 crore to Rs 120 crore on day one, making it the second regional film to have a strong opening within a month. Total domestic collections include collections from all versions of a film.

In March, RRR had strong opening-day collections of around Rs 133 crore, led by the Telugu version. The Hindi version of RRR, however, earned Rs 20 crore in box collections only on day one. K.G.F: Chapter 2 is likely to see collections of around Rs 40 crore to Rs 45 crore for its Hindi version: the highest for a regional film on the first day of release.

"The last when a Hindi version of a regional film did well was when Bahubali 2 achieved box office collections of around Rs 41 crore on day one. That was five years ago. K.G.F 2 in Hindi could touch Rs 45 crore on the first day, given the house-full shows across theatres in Hindi-speaking markets," said Rahul Kadbet, vice president, programming, Carnival Cinemas.

The buzz around K.G.F 2 gained steam during the pre-release stage itself, with advance ticket bookings for the blockbuster in the region of Rs 38-39 crore, according to film exhibitors and distributors. The lead actors of the film, including Kannada superstar Yash, extensively promoted the movie across India and overseas markets.

Rajender Singh Jyala, chief programming officer at multiplex chain Inox said that K.G.F 2 had gained from the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions across markets. "Moviegoers feel the need to go back to theatres and enjoy the big-screen experience after two years of restricted living. Blockbusters such as K.G.F 2 help pull in the audience, which is good for the industry," he said.

April will also see movies such as Jersey, featuring Shahid Kapoor, Runway 34, featuring Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan, and Heropanti 2, featuring Tiger Shroff, release in theatres. Multiplex operators say that Jersey could turn out to be a sleeper hit like Kabir Singh was in 2019. The latter featured Kapoor in the titular role of a medical student. Runway 34 and Heropanti 2, on the other hand, are also much-awaited films.

Devgn was last seen in extended cameos in Sooryavanshi and RRR, which released in November 2021 and March 2022.