Prithviraj Sukumaran's much-anticipated action drama 'Vilayath Buddha' is experiencing a challenging run at the box office, with collections showing a steep decline during its second week in theaters. The film's performance has left industry observers concerned as it struggles to attract audiences despite its star power.
Box Office Numbers Tell a Worrying Story
According to data from the Sacnilk website, Day 9 collections plummeted to just Rs 10 lakhs, marking one of the lowest single-day earnings since the film's release. This disappointing figure comes after a consistently declining pattern throughout the first week.
The current worldwide collection stands at Rs 8.23 crore, with domestic India net earnings of Rs 4.81 crore and overseas contributions amounting to Rs 2.6 crore. These numbers fall significantly short of expectations for a film featuring one of Malayalam cinema's biggest stars.
Steady Decline Throughout the Week
The box office trajectory reveals a concerning pattern for the production. Starting from Rs 35 lakhs on Day 5, the collections dropped to Rs 25 lakhs on Day 6, followed by Rs 20 lakhs on Day 7 and Rs 11 lakhs on Day 8 before hitting the Rs 10 lakh mark on Day 9.
This consistent downward trend indicates that the film has failed to generate positive word-of-mouth or sustain initial audience interest, resulting in empty theaters and diminishing returns for distributors and exhibitors.
Critical Reception Offers Silver Lining
Despite the disappointing commercial performance, 'Vilayath Buddha' has received appreciation for certain aspects, particularly individual performances. The ETimes review highlighted Prithviraj Sukumaran's portrayal of a raw character, noting that "the man has charm and he makes the anti-hero appealing enough to make us root for him" while acknowledging some shortcomings in emotional scenes.
Shammi Thilakan's performance as Bhaskaran Master has been particularly praised, with critics noting his ability to evoke multiple emotions from audiences. Anu Mohan and Priyamvada Krishnan have also been recognized for their strong screen presence, with Krishnan making a lasting impression despite the film's overall struggles.
Second Weekend Holds Key to Recovery
Industry experts suggest that the second weekend performance will be crucial for determining the film's ultimate fate. There remains hope that positive word-of-mouth might still trigger some recovery, though the current trends make this prospect increasingly challenging.
The film features an ensemble cast including Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Anu Mohan, Shammi Thilakan, Rajashree and Priyamvada Krishnan in pivotal roles. The combination of established stars and promising newcomers had generated considerable pre-release buzz, making the underwhelming box office response particularly surprising for trade analysts.
As 'Vilayath Buddha' continues its theatrical run, all eyes remain on whether the film can stage any form of recovery or if it will join the growing list of big-budget Malayalam productions that failed to connect with audiences in 2024.
