The much-anticipated mythological devotional film Kannappa, starring Vishnu Manchu in the lead role, has finally hit theatres, and it’s off to an impressive start at the box office. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned an estimated Rs 9 crore across all languages in India on its opening day. It also marks the highest-ever opening for a Vishnu Manchu film.
Kannappa recorded an overall Telugu occupancy of 55.89% on Friday. Morning shows began on a promising note with 50.55% occupancy, which steadily increased throughout the day, rising to 52.81% for evening shows and peaking at 69.87% during night shows. Hyderabad and Bengaluru reported the highest number of screenings, as well as the highest occupancy rates for the film.
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In the Tamil market, the film registered a 6.45% occupancy rate on Friday, with Chennai leading in both show count and viewer turnout. Meanwhile, in the Hindi belt, Delhi topped the charts in terms of both the number of shows and audience presence, contributing to an overall Hindi occupancy of 14.56%. The Kannada and Malayalam versions saw occupancy rates of 13.81% and 7.20%, respectively. This strong debut is particularly notable when compared to Vishnu Manchu’s previous release Ginna, which managed just Rs 0.2 crore on its opening day and went on to become a box office failure.
The mythological epic also features a star-studded cast, including Mohanlal, Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, and Kajal Aggarwal, an added draw for the masses. Kannappa is based on the tale of devotion and sacrifice, weaving mythology, emotion, and stunning visuals into a narrative that resonates deeply with devotees of Lord Shiva and fans of grand-scale storytelling. Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 200 crore, Kannappa is shaping up to be a significant box office contender in the mythological genre. However, it has received fairly negative reviews from the critics. It remains to be seen how much Kannappa will earn over its first weekend, amid growing competition from older releases like Sitaare Zameen Par, which is still going strong, and new releases like Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie.
