Sarkaru Vaari Paata, the Telugu film starring Mahesh Babu, which released in theatres on Thursday, has collected Rs 50.10 crore (gross) at the box office in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on its opening day, says Anupam Reddy, Secretary of the Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce.
The film, which opened to mixed responses, is directed by Parasuram Petla and set against the backdrop of the bank system. Sarkaru Vaari Paata is Mahesh Babu’s first release in two years. His last outing was Sarileru Neekevvaru in 2020.
Sarkaru Vaari Paata is jointly produced by Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar, Ram Achanta, and Gopichand Achanta, under Mythri Movie Makers, GMB Entertainment, and 14 Reels Plus banners. Aside from Mahesh Babu, the film also stars Keerthy Suresh, Vennela Kishore and Subbaraju, among others.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Reddy says, “The film’s first day collection was expected to be good since it is a star-studded release and has Mahesh Babu appearing on screen after two years. But, the film’s performance has been dropping since then. Theatre occupancy rate was at 80% on Thursday and will likely drop further from Friday.”
Balgovind Raj Tadla, Secretary of Greater Telangana Exhibitors Association and Partner at Sudharshan 35mm and Devi 70mm single-screen theatres in Hyderabad, says, “Due to the mixed reviews, and the fact that the film is releasing across a lot of screens, the reception is a little slow. With a series of big-budget films premiering one after the other, the expectations of the audience has become high. Unless a film delivers really good content, they don’t step out. Sarkaru Vaari Paata is good, but owing to the ongoing exams, the family audience has been absent, which also affects the performance.”
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It is to be noted that theatre owners in Andhra Pradesh have been allowed to charge an additional Rs 45 per ticket for the first 10 days of Sarkaru Vaari Paata, after which ticket prices will revert to the regular rates. The film was also granted permission to run special shows in Telangana.