Anand Deverakonda’s modestly budgeted drama fails to recover costs, while Nani’s action thriller steadies at a six‑day net of just over a hundred crore in India.
Epic‑First Semester’s box‑office fate
Anand Deverakonda’s latest outing opened with a modest 2.1 crore net in India, a figure that looked decent on paper but quickly evaporated. Day‑two collections slipped, and by the end of the first week the film had barely crossed the 7‑crore mark. Week two saw the numbers dip below a crore, and the third week was a blank.
According to Koimoi, the final net tally settled at roughly 7.8 crore, translating to a gross of about 9.2 crore domestically. Overseas, the picture added another 2.65 crore, pushing the worldwide gross to just under 12 crore. With a production budget of 15 crore, the film recouped only about half of its spend, leaving a deficit close to 7.2 crore – a 48% shortfall by the outlet’s calculations.
The movie, an A‑rated spin‑off of the popular Telugu web series 90s – A Middle Class Biopic, carried the weight of expectations. Vijay Deverakonda even shuffled his own release to give the film a solo window, but the buzz around the series failed to translate into sustained ticket sales. The cast, featuring Vaishnavi Chaitanya and familiar faces from the series, could not reverse the downward trend.
The Paradise’s milestone
Across the Telugu market, Nani’s The Paradise is writing a very different story. On its sixth day, the film pulled in 4.40 crore net from 5,772 shows, taking the domestic net total to 101.50 crore. The gross figure sits at 120 crore, while the worldwide tally has crossed the 150 crore threshold, thanks to an overseas gross of half a crore on day six and a cumulative overseas gross of 30.50 crore.
Filmfare notes that the film’s weekday numbers have slipped – a 12% dip from the previous day – but the Telugu belt remains the engine, contributing over three‑crore net on the latest day. Despite criticism aimed at the second half’s chaotic pacing and heavy‑handed violence, Nani’s star power continues to draw crowds, cementing his ascent into the upper tier of Telugu cinema.
What the numbers mean
Epic‑First Semester’s loss highlights the risk of banking on web‑series nostalgia without a strong theatrical hook. Even with a lean budget, the film’s inability to sustain its opening suggests that audiences are demanding more than brand recognition.
Conversely, The Paradise shows that a big‑name lead can offset middling weekday drops, especially when the core market stays loyal. The film still has room to climb, but its current trajectory points to a solid profit margin once the theatrical run concludes.
Both stories will shape distributor strategies in the coming weeks. For Anand Deverakonda’s team, the focus may shift to digital rights to plug the deficit. Nani’s camp, meanwhile, will likely push for a wider release window to capitalize on the momentum before the next big weekend.
So, while one film fades into the financial shadows, the other shines bright enough to join the coveted 100‑crore club.
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