Weekend BO: ‘Kingdom’ posts impressively, but momentum drops

Vijay Deverakonda and director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s “Kingdom” started off strong at the box office, but lost momentum as the weekend progressed. Released on Thursday (July 31), the film opened to massive numbers and held steady through Friday. However, it failed to capitalize on that momentum during the crucial Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday’s collections were particularly underwhelming, limiting the film’s potential for a blockbuster run. In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the USA, the numbers dipped noticeably on the final day of the weekend.

By the end of its extended first weekend, “Kingdom” managed to post a Rs 60 crore worldwide gross.

The film didn’t receive a unanimous positive response. While the first half was well-received, many viewers and critics found the second half passive and underwhelming. A key point of criticism was the removal of the popular romantic song “Hridayam Lopala”, which alienated a significant portion of Vijay Deverakonda’s fanbase, especially the youth and female audience.

This decision, along with an overreliance on loud background music in place of emotionally resonant scenes, reportedly contributed to the film’s dip in engagement during the latter half.

In the USA, “Kingdom” earned a weekend gross of $1.6 million—a solid number by Vijay Deverakonda’s standards, but below expectations given its impressive premiere haul. The film was expected to cross the $2 million mark over the weekend but fell short due to weak footfalls on Saturday and Sunday.

“Kingdom” has brought temporary relief to Vijay Deverakonda after a string of underwhelming releases. However, with mixed word-of-mouth and stiff competition ahead, sustaining its box office momentum in the coming days will be a challenge.