Box office: 'Leo' crosses Rs. 100cr mark despite 45% dip
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj's Leo, featuring Thalapathy Vijay, made its highly-anticipated theatrical debut on Thursday (October 19). Fueled by Vijay's immense fan base, the movie drew in massive crowds, resulting in an impressive collection of Rs. 64.8cr (nett) on its opening day in India. However, following the robust start, the film encountered an estimated 45% drop in its earnings on the second day of release.
Why does this story matter?
The opening day of Leo was nothing short of spectacular, as it became the biggest opener of 2023 in Tamil Nadu. In the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana and Karnataka markets, Leo became the highest opener for a Tamil film. The film also surpassed the 2023 Rajinikanth starrer Jailer's opening day earnings. It remains to be seen whether Leo can match the long-term success of Jailer.
Day 2 earnings: 'Leo' crosses Rs. 100cr mark in India
On its second day, Leo garnered Rs. 35.25cr for all languages in India, bringing its total tally to Rs. 100.05cr, per Sacnilk. The collections are particularly strong in Tamil Nadu, where it earned Rs. 29.04cr on Friday. The Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada dubbed versions earned Rs. 4.5cr, Rs. 1.6cr, and Rs. 11 lakh, respectively. Leo maintained a substantial 73.64% Tamil Occupancy on Friday.
'Leo' entered top 10 highest worldwide Indian film openings
According to film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan, Leo secured the eighth-highest opening for any Indian film globally with Rs. 115.9cr. Topping the list of highest openings is RRR (2022), followed by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) and KGF: Chapter 2 (2022). What's even more impressive is that Leo surpassed the worldwide opening record set by Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, which earned Rs. 106.14 crore.
Here's everything about Vijay's 'Leo'
Leo marks the second collaboration between actor Vijay and director Kanagaraj following Master, released in 2021. The storyline of Leo follows Vijay in a rugged and action-packed role as he confronts a serial killer. However, the stakes escalate when Sanjay Dutt steps into the picture as the menacing villain. Trisha Krishnan plays a pivotal role as Vijay's wife in the film.
