Actor Adivi Sesh on Wednesday dismissed concerns about box office competition with Dhurandhar 2 impacting his latest film Dacoit, saying its theatrical run has been “beautifully positive”.
The action thriller, directed by Shaneil Deo in his debut and co-starring Mrunal Thakur, released on April 10 after being postponed from March 19 to avoid a clash with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2, which is currently in its fourth week and enjoying a record-breaking run.
Asked if the blockbuster run of Dhurandhar 2 affected Dacoit’s performance, Sesh said the outcome of such clashes is difficult to predict.
“Honestly, who can say? I mean, had Dhurandhar not been around, had there not been a two-month IPL this time, or had Kantara and Vikram not been released day as Major…” he told Hindustan Times, referring to his earlier film Major, which also faced competition at the box office.
“But the destiny for this film has been beautifully positive, and I'm just grateful now,” he added.
Dacoit earned an estimated Rs 22 crore nett domestically in its opening weekend but trailed Dhurandhar 2 at the box office.
The makers recently described the film as a “blockbuster” after it grossed Rs 40 crore worldwide in its opening weekend, drawing criticism from some quarters.
Responding to the reaction, Sesh said, “To them it feels, ‘How can they?’ But at the end of the day, I'll tell you one thing: everything about our film has come from an honest space.”
The actor-writer also acknowledged support from members of the film industry, including filmmaker Allu Aravind and actor Nani, who promoted the film ahead of its release.
“For someone like Allu Aravind, Allu Arjun's dad, and Bunny Vasu to say, ‘Hey, we want to talk about the movie, can you give us a stage to do so?’ is a big deal. And they said we don't want to do it in one simple video bite. They came and spoke. And these are just honest things. I don't have that kind of influence to get those kinds of big guys to talk,” he said.
Dacoit follows the story of two former lovers who must unite to commit a series of robberies to change their lives. The film, produced by Supriya Yarlagadda and presented by Annapurna Studios, with Suniel Narang as co-producer.
