High expectations surrounded Akhanda 2 ever since its announcement, but the film has turned out to be a major disappointment at the worldwide box office.
Given the sequel factor and Nandamuri Balakrishna’s strong mass following, the film was expected to post impressive numbers. Instead, it is now headed towards becoming Balakrishna’s lowest-grossing film in the post-COVID period.
The film did open on a reasonably positive note, but it failed to sustain the momentum beyond the initial days. Negative reviews and weak word of mouth have taken a toll, leading to a sharp drop in collections.
In India, Akhanda 2 entered its second week on a dull note, earning an estimated â¹1.77 crore on its second Friday (Day 8). So far, the film has collected around â¹78.52 crore net in India, which translates to approximately â¹92.65 crore gross.
The overseas performance has been even more worrying. After a modest opening, the film saw a steep decline and has managed to collect only about â¹12 crore gross so far.
With domestic and overseas figures combined, Akhanda 2 has grossed roughly â¹104.65 crore worldwide in its first eight days.
At present, Akhanda 2 stands as Balakrishna’s lowest-grossing overseas film in the post-COVID era.
To avoid an uncomfortable comparison, it needs to surpass Bhagavanth Kesari, which ended its run at â¹114.84 crore worldwide. The gap of just over â¹10 crore, however, may prove difficult to bridge, especially with weekday drops expected to continue. The film will need a strong jump over the second weekend to improve its standing.
For context, Balakrishna’s post-COVID releases have performed significantly better, with Veera Simha Reddy (Rs 130 Cr) leading the pack, followed by Daaku Maharaaj (Rs 125 Cr), Akhanda (Rs 118 Cr), and Bhagavanth Kesari (Rs 114 Cr).
Against that backdrop, Akhanda 2 appears set to finish at the bottom unless there is a late turnaround in collections.