The Devil box office collection day 1: Darshan’s comeback, after being accused in murder case, earns massive Rs 10 cr

The Devil box office collection day 1: Darshan’s comeback to the big screen has opened on a strong note, with the film registering a double-digit opening.

The Devil box office collection day 1: The film earned Rs 10 crore.

The Devil box office collection day 1: After his arrest in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case, Challenging Star Darshan has returned to theatres with his action drama The Devil, in which he appears in a double role. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, early estimates suggest the film has opened strongly, grossing around Rs 10 crore on its first day. It has released on approximately over 1,200 shows.

The film recorded an impressive overall Kannada occupancy of 63.75 percent on Day 1. Morning shows opened at 60.44 percent, dipped slightly to 51.74 percent in the afternoon, then climbed to 63.47 percent in the evening, ending the day on a robust 79.34 percent. Bengaluru had the highest number of shows (901) with an occupancy of 64 percent, while Mysuru, (with 102 shows), posted an outstanding 88.75 percent occupancy.

Also Read | The Devil movie review: Challenging Star Darshan returns with an archaic, problematic extravaganza

Despite the solid opening, The Devil still trails behind Darshan’s previous release Kaatera, a period actioner that debuted with Rs 11 crore. However, it has fared better than Kranti, which also released in 2023 and opened to Rs 9.8 crore before underperforming in the long run. The Devil has also surpassed the opening of this year’s surprise Kannada hit, the animated devotional feature Mahavatar Narsimha, which collected Rs 2.29 crore on its first day. It has performed better, too, than the sleeper comedy Su From So, which began with just Rs 78 lakh but eventually amassed Rs 106 crore amid strong word-of-mouth.

That said, The Devil remains far behind the highest-grossing Kannada opener of the year, Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1, which launched its innings with a whopping Rs 61.85 crore. Still, considering the controversies surrounding Darshan lately, the film’s double-digit opening is a relatively positive start. With Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2 finally in theatres, however, the road ahead for The Devil may prove to be challenging.

This is Darshan’s first film after he was named in the Renukaswamy murder case. In November, charges were framed against him, his friend Pavithra Gowda, and 15 other accused in the case. They were arrested last year after Chitradurga resident Renukaswamy was allegedly murdered for sending lewd messages to Pavithra Gowda on Instagram. The victim’s body was discovered near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli on June 9, 2024. Thoogudeepa was arrested in Mysuru and was given bail in October this year.

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