Here's how much Rajinikanth-Akshay's '2.0' earned on opening day
2.0 is a mega-budget movie, costing nearly Rs. 500 crore and is considered to be among the most expensive Indian films ever made. Starring Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and directed by Shankar, the movie faced a potential problem when active piracy site TamilRockers leaked it hours after release. However, the film's popularity has overcome that hurdle to report the highest opening collections of 2018.
Major box office blockbuster
The mega film raised approximately Rs. 77.25 crore across India. Breaking it down, the Hindi version made around Rs. 20.25 crore, its popularity bolstered by Akshay Kumar's presence. The Telugu and Tamil versions made around Rs. 20 crore each, Karnataka raked in Rs. 12 crore and Kerala Rs. 5 crore. Notably, Chennai saw the all-time highest opening day collection of Rs. 2.64 crore.
A record opening for '2.0'
Box Office India reported 2.0 was screened across 4,150 screens and had a 40% occupancy on the first day. This makes it the eighth highest opening this year in Bollywood. However, it is important to note that Rajinikanth is not as popular in Bollywood, especially in North India. Furthermore, films with higher openings like Thugs of Hindostan and Gold took advantage of national holidays.
High hopes from the film
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh noted that despite the film releasing on a 'non-holiday' and 'non-festival' period, it still made good business. He also pointed out it was a dubbed film and the advanced bookings had started late. Similarly, RJ Alok mentioned that he expected Friday, Saturday and Sunday to witness the business booming for 2.0. Notably, the movie also performed extremely well overseas.
Despite huge earnings, reviews are negative
Although the film made waves at the box office, it has hardly made a splash when it comes to reviews. Most critics have praised the film for its visuals, which is obvious considering the large sum of money invested in them. However, when it comes to the film's crux, the screenplay, most critics said it was weak, saved only by Rajinikanth's imposing presence.
