New Delhi: Telugu film 'HanuMan' is getting rave reviews and great numbers at the box office. The Teja Sajja film has already made Rs. 40.65 cr at the box office in the first weekend itself. This collection is higher than Yash-starrer 'KGF: Chapter 1' and Rishab Shetty's 'Kantara'. The Prasanth Varma directorial still has 10 more days at the theatres before Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone starrer 'Fighter' releases in theatres.
While HanuMan began witha lukewarm start at Rs. 8 cr, the film gained a lot of traction due to positive word of mouth. The film released alongside 'Guntur Kaaram' led by superstar Mahesh Babu and managed to do better than the big-budget film in the Sunday collections.
While 'Guntur Kaaram' has collected Rs. 69 cr, a smaller film like 'HanuMan' has managed to do very well.
According to Sacnilk.com, HanuMan's Telugu version has earned a total of ₹28.21 crore, Hindi version ₹12 crore, Tamil and Kannada versions ₹19 lakh each and Malayalam ₹6 lakh over the opening weekend.
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote on X on Monday, "Here’s the big surprise… #HanuMan first *3-day* [opening weekend] total is higher than #KGF [first part] and #Kantara, at par with #Pushpa [note: all #Hindi dubbed versions]… Yes, you read it right! #HanuMan emerges first hit of 2024… Packs an impressive total in its *opening weekend*… While mass pockets continue to dominate, the national chains have also joined the party… Fri 2.15 cr, Sat 4.05 cr, Sun 6.06 cr. Total: ₹ 12.26 cr. #India biz. Note: #Hindi version.”
“Going forward, the strong hold in mass sectors is a big plus, since these pockets will be driving its biz on weekdays… Also, as highlighted yesterday, lack of major releases - till #Fighter [25 Jan] - should help #HanuMan cement its status. #Telugu version in #NorthIndia: Fri 24 lacs, Sat 40 lacs, Sun 45 lacs. Total: ₹ 1.09 cr.”