Box office: Vijay-Mrunal's 'The Family Star' records shockingly low opening
The Telugu romantic drama The Family Star (also promoted as Family Star) starring Vijay Deverakonda and Mrunal Thakur, was released theatrically on Friday. Penned and directed by Parasuram, the film received negative reviews from both critics and audiences. Despite the criticism, it still managed to accumulate ₹5.75cr. However, this opening marks one of the lowest for Deverakonda, in stark contrast to his previous films, which consistently recorded double-digit opening figures.
Why does this story matter?
The Family Star was also released in a Tamil dubbed version. However, in the Tamil market too, the film received negative reviews and failed to draw the audience. The film's occupancy throughout the day failed to touch even 50% reportedly, indicating a lack of audience interest. This is a significant concern for Deverakonda, who hasn't had a hit since Taxiwala in 2018, despite his widespread popularity and fan base.
In detail: Occupancy rates for 'The Family Star'
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, TFS achieved an overall Telugu occupancy of 38.45% on Friday. The highest attendance was observed during night shows, with 40.92%, closely followed by afternoon shows at 40.85%. In contrast, TFS experienced only a meager overall Tamil occupancy of 15.31% on Friday. It remains to be seen whether the film will gain momentum over the weekend.
Deverakonda's aspirations; 'TFS's US struggle
Ahead of the release, Deverakonda said, "This is a mainstream Telugu holiday entertainer. The way my character reacts to a conflict point is over the top and extreme, yet, it reflects how middle-class people can get upset." Separately, in the US market, The Family Star collected close to $164,518 (about ₹1.5cr), reported M9. To recover its costs, the film needs a significant boost in ticket sales over the weekend.
Here's what 'TFS' is all about
Bankrolled by Sri Venkateswara Creations, the film's narrative revolves around Govardhan (Deverakonda), an architect from a humble background, whose life takes a significant turn upon meeting Indu (Thakur)—a postgraduate student who becomes a tenant in his home. Their budding relationship faces major upheaval when a secret about Indu comes to light—leading Govardhan to feel betrayed. However, circumstances force them to reconcile their differences as they find themselves compelled to work together.
