Kannada superstar Darshan Thoogudeepa's much-anticipated political action thriller, 'The Devil', has wrapped up its first week in theatres, posting a substantial total collection. The film, which hit screens on December 11, opened to a thunderous response but has seen a tapering of momentum on subsequent weekdays.
A Strong Start Followed by a Dip
The film, directed by Prakash Veer, kicked off its box office run with an impressive ₹10 crore haul on its opening day. The momentum continued over the weekend with collections of ₹3.4 crore on the second day (Friday), ₹3.8 crore on Saturday, and ₹4 crore on Sunday. However, a significant decline was noted as the weekdays began. Monday's earnings stood at ₹1.45 crore, followed by ₹1.05 crore on Tuesday. According to early estimates reported by Sacnilk, the film added approximately ₹80 lakh on Wednesday.
This brings the estimated total collection for the first week to a robust ₹24.50 crore. The film's performance highlights a classic trend of a powerful opening weekend driven by fan enthusiasm, followed by a stabilization phase that will determine its long-term success.
Occupancy Rates Tell the Story
The occupancy data for Wednesday reflects the film's current hold on audiences. 'The Devil' recorded an overall Kannada occupancy of 13.83% for the day. The figures showed a gradual climb through the day: starting at 9.09% in morning shows, rising to 13.99% in afternoon shows, inching up to 14.93% in the evening, and peaking at 17.31% during night shows.
Audience Reactions and Film Details
The film features Darshan in a compelling dual role, supported by a cast including Mahesh Manjrekar, Rachana Rai, and Achyuth Kumar. The music is composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath. While the film has been praised for Darshan's powerful screen presence, fan reviews on social media have been mixed. A section of the audience has critiqued the film for what they perceive as an outdated plot and a weak screenplay. Some viewers have even pointed out specific details like the quality of a wig used for one of Darshan's characters, calling it unconvincing.
The coming week will be crucial for 'The Devil' to see if it can attract a wider audience beyond its core fanbase and maintain steady collections to emerge as a commercial success. The box office numbers are compiled from proprietary and public sources, and all figures are approximate.
