Sarkar has made around Rs 2.37 crores in Chennai, insiders at Sun Pictures tell Silverscreen. Early estimate put the film’s first day business at around Rs 20 crores. A spokesperson for the production house tells us that the estimate could have been higher if not for the uncertainty over the early morning shows of the film in Tamil Nadu.
“We are seeing a steady influx of audience. As of now, we are showing in around 3300 theatres across India. We don’t have the nation wide numbers as yet but I can confidently say that we’ve got around eighty five to ninety percent occupancy in all theatres in Tamil Nadu,” the spokesperson added.
Already, news that Sarkar’s first day collection has overpowered that of Baahubali and even Rajinikanth’s recent Kaala has taken over social media. While the film itself has received mixed reviews, at this stage it is believed that it will not negatively impact the film’s business.
In neighbouring Kerala, where actor Vijay commands a huge fan base, extra shows are being added to meet the demands of the audience. Karthika Theatre in Thrissur decided to screen the film continuously for twenty four hours. The theatre’s manager tells us that the response was unprecedented with a steady stream of fans and the general public showing up to view the film. “We did expect a huge turnout but not like this. It’s quite a joy to see all the screens filled. We may plan another twenty four hour viewing soon,” he said.
A spokesperson for the film tells us that Sarkar may cross the half million mark on its second day in the United States of America. On its first day, the share was over $300 million. “In UK and France, the reception has been enthusiastic as well. We will have a more clear estimate on November 8,”he added.
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Interestingly, much of Sarkar’s record breaking first day collection in Tamil Nadu could be attributed to the high rate of ticket prices for the film. This rate waa determined by distributors and is above the State mandated rate, a theatre owner in the city told Silverscreen. “In some districts, they are selling tickets at 500 and above. This will continue till the weekend. The real test for Sarkar is when the festival weekend is over. November 12 onwards, the scenario might be different,” the theatre owner told us.
Abirami Ramanathan, President of the Theatre Owners Association, told Silverscreen that the reviews seem not to have made an impact on audience turnout as a majority of the shows in Chennai are sold out till the weekend. “Sarkar is running quite well in Chennai. The reviews are mixed but the numbers we’re looking at says a whole different story. The main screens in Chennai are sold out,” he said.