Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 3: Ajay Devgn-starrer Drishyam: The Conclusion has recorded a strong opening at the Indian box office, with the thriller expected to collect around Rs 60 crore nett on its first day.
The film performed strongly through the evening shows on Friday. Its final opening-day collection will depend on the performance of the night shows, but the film is expected to finish close to or above the Rs 60-crore mark.
If it crosses Rs 60 crore nett, Drishyam: The Conclusion will register the third-highest opening day for a Hindi film, behind Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which collected Rs 75 crore nett on its opening day excluding previews, and Jawan, which opened at Rs 64.50 crore nett. The exact gap between Drishyam: The Conclusion and Jawan will be clearer once the final Friday figures are reported.
The film has performed well across major centres, with Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune and Bengaluru emerging among the stronger markets. Maharashtra has led the state-wise collections, continuing the franchise's traditionally strong performance in the state.
The first-day collection in Maharashtra is expected to be around five per cent below that of Dhurandhar: The Revenge, compared with an estimated 20 per cent shortfall nationally. Lower ticket prices are cited as a major reason for the difference, while admissions in Maharashtra could be higher.
The Hindi circuits have also recorded strong numbers. Punjab has been relatively lower, although the East Punjab circuit is expected to post a substantial opening, helped by strong collections in the National Capital Region.
Despite thrillers not traditionally being among the biggest box-office genres, the Drishyam franchise has a strong family and emotional appeal, which has helped broaden its audience. The established popularity of the franchise has also contributed to the film's strong opening.
The national holiday on Friday further boosted the film's opening-day business.
The film has also opened strongly in overseas markets. Australia recorded an opening day of around AUD 295,000, although the collection could have been higher had the available capacity been fully utilised.
In North America, the film is expected to record an opening of close to USD 1 million. Its overall international opening day is projected to be around USD 2 million, subject to final figures.
The overseas performance would mark the biggest international opening for an Ajay Devgn film, according to early estimates, further highlighting the commercial strength of the Drishyam franchise.