Vishnu Manchu’s mythological drama Kannappa, which opened in cinemas on Friday, has had a decent start at the box office, earning Rs 9 crore nett across languages, according to early estimates by industry tracker Sacnilk.
Mounted on an ambitious scale and backed by heavyweights from across industries, the film blends mythology, action and spectacle to tell the story of a devout follower of Lord Shiva.
Kannappa registered mixed occupancy on its opening day, performing best in the Telugu-speaking regions, where it saw an overall occupancy of 55.89 per cent. The Tamil version recorded 16.45 per cent occupancy on Friday, while the Hindi version fared lower at 14.56 per cent.
Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh and produced by Mohan Babu, Kannappa stars Vishnu Manchu in the titular role. The actor has also written the screenplay.
Joining him in key roles are Preity Mukhundhan, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji, Siva Balaji, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, Devaraj, Mukesh Rishi, Raghu Babu and Madhoo.
The film boasts cameo appearances by Mohanlal, Prabhas, Kajal Aggarwal and Akshay Kumar, with the latter making his Telugu film debut.
The makers of Kannappa, however, have declared the film as an industry hit. “An unstoppable saga of faith and power now ruling the silver screen! The divine has spoken — audiences have blessed it,” the official handle of the film posted on X.
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt-starrer F1, directed by Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski, was off to a decent start at the Indian box office, collecting Rs 5.5 crore nett on Day 1. Also starring Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kate McKenna, Tobias Menzies, the racing thriller revolves around a washed-up American driver pulled back into the world of F1 by his former teammate.
F1’s earnings were higher than Kajol’s latest film Maa, which opened to a collection of Rs 4.93 crore nett. Directed by Vishal Furia, Maa is a supernatural horror film, also featuring Ronit Bose Roy, Kherin Sharma, Indraneil Sengupta.
Aamir Khan-starrer Sitaare Zameen Par, which entered its second in theatres on Friday, continued to pull in audiences. The R.S. Prasanna-starrer comedy drama earned Rs 6.75 crore nett on Day 8, taking its total India haul to Rs 94.40 crore nett.