Kanguva Day 1 Box Office Collections: Strong Opening for Suriya, Will It Sustain?

Kanguva had a decent to strong opening at the Indian box office, grossing around Rs 26 crore on its first day. For Suriya, this marks his career-best opening day figures in India, surpassing the ten-year-old record set by Anjaan (Rs 16.75 crore). However, given the scale and budget of Kanguva as a major tentpole film, expectations were much higher, and a Rs 35 crore opening would have been more in line with what was anticipated. The big question is whether this strong opening sustain considering that Kanguva received negative to mixed reviews. Kanguva was dubbed as the loud film with weak substance.

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In Tamil Nadu, the film grossed approximately Rs10 crore, which could be the highest or second-highest opening for Suriya in the state, depending on final numbers—just behind NGK (2019). However, Kanguva faced challenges right from the start, with last-minute negotiations with exhibitors causing a delayed advance booking. As a result, the film was heavily reliant on walk-up audiences, but lukewarm audience reactions and early reports prevented it from achieving a bigger opening.

Telugu States

Outside Tamil Nadu, Kanguva grossed Rs 5.50 crore in the Telugu states, which isn’t bad but could have been stronger. In Kerala, the film earned Rs 3.75 crore on its first day, though it had the potential to do better—closer to Rs 5 crore—based on its pre-release buzz and advance sales, which ultimately didn’t translate into strong ticket sales. While the Hindi version did manage to set a new benchmark for the highest first-day collections for a Kollywood film in the last five years, the overall numbers still aren’t substantial enough to give the film a clear path forward.

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However, more concerning than the lukewarm opening is the mixed-to-negative audience reception, which could significantly impact the film's long-term performance. Suriya is in the midst of a rough patch, with his last successful theatrical release being Singam 2 back in 2013. Kanguva was anticipated as his big comeback after a five-year hiatus, especially given the scale of the film and the success of the director’s previous blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film’s performance suggests that Suriya’s rough patch continues, and Kanguva looks set to join the growing list of disappointments in his career.

Territorial Breakdown of Kanguva’s Day 1 Box Office Collections:

Area                                                                                Gross

Tamil Nadu                                                                      Rs 10.00 cr.

AP/TS                                                                              Rs 5.50 cr.

Karnataka                                                                        Rs 2.25 cr.

Kerala                                                                              Rs 3.75 cr.

Rest of India                                                                    Rs 4.50 cr.

Total (India)                                                                      Rs 26.00 cr.

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