Adipurush box office Day 1: Prabhas' fame in Karnataka yields good results, but just not good enough

Om Raut's Adipurush arrived in cinemas with a lot of promise as trade pundits maintained a keen eye on the box office with the same intensity that the fans exuded prior to the release. A lot was at stake, it seemed, with the film's leading man Prabhas wanting to prove his glorious return to form with the new-age version of the mythology epic Ramayana. 

Prabhas, aside from having to stamp his authority on the box office, was also being closely watched by critics for his effective portrayal of Lord Rama, which happens to be one of the most-loved on-screen characters in India.

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And while the two Telugu states make up the obvious conducive territory for the 43-year-old actor with respect to the box office, the neighbouring state of Karnataka, too, has been a highly favourable region for him over the years. Prabhas enjoys enviable fan-following in Karnataka and not many know that he is the only non-Kannada actor in history who has two 10-crore plus opening-day grossers in the vast state. 

So, for obvious reasons, Karnataka was meant to be a decisive box office area for both Prabhas and the team of Adipurush, with another double-digit opener seemingly on the cards. Bengaluru alone boasted close to 970 shows (another record, by the way) and everything seemed aligned for a massive day in business, until the reviews came trickling in. While the advance bookings ensured fixed returns on Day #1, the underwhelming word-of-mouth verdict caused a dent in the predicted figures. 

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According to the latest trade reports, Adipurush has closed the opening day in Karnataka at a figure close to Rs. 8 crores (gross approx. value). Standing alone, the numbers certainly look impressive but considering the clout that the film had to its name ahead of the release, one would say the final collections do not live up to the expectations. And another factor that highlights this slightly below-par start is that of Adipurush getting a full-blown pan-India status in Karnataka, with the film releasing in all five languages including Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil & Malayalam. 

As a result, Adipurush has been assigned the third spot on the list of highest-grossing films of 2023 in Karnataka. Challenging Star Darshan's action entertained Kranti stands at the top with close to Rs. 10 crores with R. Chandru's Kabzaa taking the second spot.