Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaj mints over Rs 38 crore in 2 days

At one end, everyone expected Shankar and Ram Charan’s Game Changer to set the tone for the new year, but it is Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaj that is lapping up all the love at the box office. Unlike Game Changer, which released on Friday, Nandamuri Balakrishna—popularly known as NBK—released his film on a Sunday to capitalize on the Pongal festivities.

Daaku Maharaj tells the story of a fearless robber fighting for survival while carving out his own territory amidst fierce battles with powerful adversaries. The film also stars Bobby Deol as the antagonist.

Releasing on Sunday, the film minted ₹25.35 crore on its first day, and on its second day (Monday), it earned ₹12.80 crore, bringing the two-day collection to ₹38.15 crore. Going by booking trends, the film is expected to earn around ₹15 crore on its third day, thereby crossing the ₹50 crore mark in just three days. However, the film still has a long way to go to recover its cost, as it has been mounted on a budget of ₹100 crore.

The film’s collections remain strong despite the negative and mixed reviews it received from critics and a section of the audience. However, the over-the-top storyline and NBK’s larger-than-life screen presence have struck a chord with audiences, drawing them to theaters in large numbers. The Pongal festivities, coupled with the decreasing number of shows for Game Changer, seem to be the right mix for the NBK starrer to boost its box office performance.

Even in North America, the film is picking up pace over Game Changer. As of early Monday evening, Daaku Maharaj earned around USD 72,000, while the Ram Charan starrer managed only USD 27,000.