Dulquer starrer King of Kotha had the second-highest opening day ever for a Malayalam film at the Indian box office. The early estimates for the Thursday opening day stand at Rs. 9 crores approx, which puts it just behind Odiyan’s Rs. 9.50 crores. These numbers include Rs. 6 crores from Kerala and Rs. 3 crores from the rest of India. Outside Kerala, Telugu states contributed the most with Rs. 1.40 crores followed by Rs. 90 lakhs in Tamil Nadu and Rs. 60 lakhs in Karnataka. The worldwide first-day gross is around Rs. 17 crores for the film.
Despite the near-record numbers, the box office for the film is underwhelming as the expectations were for shattering all records. The movie experienced robust pre-sales in Kerala, setting the record for the highest pre-release sales ever for a Malayalam film. The first day was projected to amass over Rs. 7 crores; however, the reality fell short, clocking in at Rs. 6 crores, still securing a commendable fourth/fifth position among the highest opening day collections for Malayalam films. The reason for falling short of expectations is the initial audience reception was not up to mark which limited the sales movement during the day.
There is an extended holiday period for Onam starting from Tuesday which should help the film but there will be competition from other releases starting today. While the new releases had a slow start during the morning hours, RDX stands out with a promising reception, which could potentially prove advantageous in the days to come.
The top five highest opening days at the Indian box office for Malayalam films are as follows:
- Odiyan: Rs. 9.50 crores
- King of Kotha: Rs. 9 crores approx
- Marakkar- Lion of the Arabian Sea: Rs. 7.40 crores
- Bheeshma Parvam: Rs. 6.70 crores
- Kurup: Rs. 6.60 crores
