Kaantha box office collection Day 1: Dulquer Salmaan’s period drama falls short of Lucky Baskhar, earns Rs 4 cr

Kaantha box office collection Day 1: The film has performed better than the much-loved romance Sita Ramam, as well as Dulquer Salmaan’s own production Lokah Chapter1: Chandra.

Kaantha box office collection Day 1: The film earned Rs 4 cr

Kaantha box office collection Day 1: Dulquer Salmaan’s much-awaited period drama Kaantha has finally arrived in cinemas, but early numbers suggest a modest opening. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the Tamil film, released across more than 2,000 screens in India, primarily in Tamil and Telugu, is estimated to have collected around Rs 4 crore on its first day.

On Day 1, the film recorded an overall 21.68% occupancy in Tamil Nadu. Morning shows began at 14.6%, rising to 19.06% in the afternoon, dipping slightly to 18.62% in the evening, and finally climbing to 34.44% for the night shows. Chennai, which had the highest number of shows, 373, posted a healthy 29.5% occupancy. In contrast, Bengaluru, with 205 shows, registered a disappointing 9.5% occupancy. In the Telugu market, Kaantha managed an overall 19.46% occupancy, a figure considered underwhelming given Dulquer Salmaan’s strong fan base in the region.

When compared to the actor’s recent releases, the opening numbers appear even more subdued. His 2024 hit Lucky Baskhar opened at Rs 6.45 crore, while his Malayalam actioner King of Kotha, despite ultimately underperforming, debuted with Rs 6.85 crore. However, Kaantha has fared better than the widely-loved Telugu romance Sita Ramam (2022), which opened at Rs 3.05 crore, and his last Tamil release, the romantic comedy Hey Sinamika, which earned only Rs 1 crore on its opening day.

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Against other Tamil releases of 2025, it opened above this year’s surprise hit Tourist Family, which collected Rs 2 crore, and slightly ahead of Vikram’s Veera Dheera Sooran, which earned Rs 3.2 crore on Day 1. But compared to major pan-India Tamil releases, it lags far behind, such as, Coolie (Rs 77 crore), Good Bad Ugly (Rs 29.25 crore), Kubera (Rs 14.75 crore), and Madharaasi (Rs 13.65 crore). It also opened lower than Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dude, which earned Rs 10 crore, though it did surpass Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, a superhero film produced by Dulquer himself, which collected Rs 3.15 crore on opening day.

The film’s release was also clouded by controversy. Just days before its worldwide premiere, Kaantha faced a legal challenge in a Chennai court from the grandson of legendary Tamil actor-musician MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, who alleged that the film portrayed his grandfather in a defamatory and distorted manner. While the makers did not issue an official statement at the time, Dulquer Salmaan had earlier clarified that Kaantha is entirely fictional and not inspired by any real person. With mixed reviews and a legal dispute preceding its release, all eyes are now on how Kaantha performs over its first weekend.

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