'Eko' Emerges as a Box Office Dark Horse
The Malayalam film industry has witnessed an unexpected triumph with Sandeep Pradeep's latest offering, 'Eko', turning into a surprise winner at the Kerala box office. After a modest beginning, the movie demonstrated remarkable resilience and audience appeal, posting significant growth over its opening weekend.
Impressive Financial Figures Tell the Story
According to data from the Sacnilk website, the film's financial journey began with a collection of Rs 80 lakhs on its opening day, Friday. However, the narrative changed dramatically over the weekend. The film experienced a substantial surge on Saturday, amassing Rs 1.85 crore. This positive momentum culminated on Sunday, with early estimates pegging the earnings at an impressive Rs 3.15 crore. This powerful performance propelled the film's total three-day net collection in India to a robust Rs 5.80 crore, a figure that has taken trade analysts by surprise.
High Occupancy Rates Signal Audience Approval
The film's success is further underscored by its exceptional occupancy rates across Kerala. On Sunday, the overall Malayalam occupancy for 'Eko' stood at a healthy 60.79%. A detailed look at the day-wise performance reveals a consistent upward trend. The morning shows began at a respectable 43.44%, which saw a major jump during the afternoon shows to 66.49%. The film reached its peak during the evening screenings with a stellar 68% occupancy, and the night shows maintained the strong performance at 65.22%. This pattern clearly indicates that the film's content is resonating powerfully with the masses, leading to strong word-of-mouth publicity.
Outshining the Competition
In the weekend's box office clash, 'Eko' has decisively outperformed the much-anticipated 'Vilayath Buddha', starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. The crime drama managed to collect only Rs 3.50 crore net over its first three days, a figure notably lower than 'Eko's' haul. More concerning for 'Vilayath Buddha' was its inability to gather momentum, with numbers declining throughout the weekend, in stark contrast to the growing audience for 'Eko'.
Directed by Dinjith Ayyathan, 'Eko' features a talented ensemble cast including Sandeep Pradeep, Vineeth, Narain Kumar, Ashokan, and Binu Pappu in pivotal roles. While the film has been praised for its technical brilliance, particularly Bahul Ramesh's stunning cinematography which beautifully captures both the lush landscapes and the intensity of the dogs, the ETimes review points out that the story falters with its many unanswered questions and a formulaic climax. Despite this critique, the audience's verdict at the box office has been overwhelmingly positive, establishing 'Eko' as the unexpected champion of the weekend.
