Vishnu Manchu’s Kannappa has had a respectable opening weekend, closing the first three days with a nett collection of ₹23.75 crore across India. While not record-shattering, the mythological drama has outperformed other recent releases like F1 and Maa, thanks largely to its strong ensemble cast and the devotional theme that appeals to a broad base of family audiences.
Here’s the day-wise nett box office breakup (India):
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Friday: ₹9.35 crore
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Saturday: ₹7.15 crore
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Sunday: ₹7.25 crore
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Total (3 Days): ₹23.75 crore
Key takeaways:
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Drop after Friday: Despite a strong start, Kannappa witnessed a noticeable dip on Saturday, suggesting that audience momentum softened post-opening.
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Sunday steadiness: A marginal increase from Saturday to Sunday indicates some level of word-of-mouth traction, albeit not strong enough to suggest breakout success.
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Mixed reception: Critical and audience reactions have been divided, with praise for the film’s visual scale and mythological narrative, but criticism aimed at pacing, execution, and screenplay.
Star power boost:
The film has benefited from star cameos and appearances, including Prabhas, Mohanlal, and Akshay Kumar, which helped generate buzz and likely contributed to the solid Friday numbers. However, it's clear the content is not converting strongly enough to generate sustained buzz into the weekdays.
Looking ahead:
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Monday’s performance will be crucial: A drop of more than 50% could confirm that Kannappa will finish as a moderate success at best. If it holds above ₹3.5–4 crore, it may have legs.
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The film is already Vishnu Manchu’s best opening to date, and is on track to become his highest-grossing film in India, depending on weekday retention.
In a competitive release calendar and with big films like Kalki 2898 AD still dominating mindshare, Kannappa needs steady weekday numbers and a strong second weekend to prove it has lasting box office potential.
