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Korean Kanakaraju Posts Solid Weekend Opening and Faces Sharp Monday Drop

The film’s early box‑office gains give Varun Tej a stronger start than his prior release but weekday performance will decide if it can recover a reported ₹38 crore budget.

Overview

  • The Merlapaka Gandhi–directed horror‑comedy opened on August 7 and earned India net totals of ₹4.2 crore on Day 1, ₹4.15 crore on Day 2, and ₹4.85 crore on Day 3, reaching a domestic opening‑weekend India net of about ₹13.2 crore.
  • Industry trackers reported the film’s worldwide gross at roughly ₹19.18–19.58 crore after three days, with overseas receipts cited at about ₹4 crore by that point.
  • Early reporting said the production was made on a reported budget of about ₹38 crore and that the film had recovered roughly 22% of that budget within its first 48 hours of release.
  • A leading exhibitor told Deccan Chronicle the Telugu states contributed an estimated ₹8 crore in exhibitor share including premieres, highlighting the importance of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to the film’s prospects.
  • Box‑office coverage on Monday showed a steep weekday drop of about 56.7% to a Day 4 India net of ₹2.10 crore and analysts say steady weekday holds and response to the film’s comic elements will be crucial for moving toward breakeven.