“Akhanda 2” which hit theatres after a week’s delay, has completed its first weekend run on a largely steady but unimpressive note. Considered a proven hit combination, Nandamuri Balakrishna and director Boyapati Srinu have teamed up for the fourth time. However, unlike their previous outings, the film’s opening weekend collections have turned out to be underwhelming.
The film received mixed feedback from fans and general audiences, along with largely negative reviews from critics. As a result, “Akhanda 2” failed to show any significant growth over the weekend. That said, one small positive is that the film did not witness a drastic collapse. Typically, Balakrishna’s films tend to see sharp drops if the talk is not strong, but this film managed to hold its ground to an extent, with night shows reporting relatively better occupancy in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Akhanda 2 – First Weekend Domestic Collections
Day 1 – 30 crore net
Day 2 – 15.5 crore net
Day 3 – 15 crore net
Total Weekend India Net – Rs 60 crore net
Akhanda 2 – First Weekend North America Collections
Day 1 – $601k (including premieres)
Day 2 – $127k
Day 3 – $62k (approx)
Total Weekend North America Gross – $790k
Starring Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role, the film strongly emphasizes the values and importance of Sanatana Dharma. However, the content failed to strike a chord with either fans or neutral audiences. Unlike the first part, “Akhanda,” which saw collections grow with each passing day, the sequel has followed the opposite trend. Industry analysts point out that the delayed release may have significantly dented the film’s initial hype.
Total flop in Hindi
The makers expected the devotional theme and Sanatana Dharma concept to connect with North Indian audiences. For the first time, a Balakrishna film was released on a relatively wide scale in Hindi and was also promoted decently. Despite this, the Hindi version managed to collect only around ₹35 lakh in three days, turning out to be a colossal failure.
Verdict
The first weekend numbers clearly indicate that “Akhanda 2” has underperformed across all markets. Its performance in the coming weekdays will be crucial in determining the final outcome of its theatrical run.
