Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Vilayath Buddha’ experienced a slow start at the box office, collecting an estimated Rs 3.50 crore net over its opening weekend. Despite strong performances from the cast, particularly Shammi Thilakan, and gripping cinematography, the film’s familiar themes of male ego and massy elements reportedly held back its impact, leading to underwhelming occupancy rates.
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Vilayath Buddha’ has concluded its opening weekend with underwhelming box office results. The crime drama managed to collect an estimated Rs 3.50 crore net at the Indian box office by the end of day 3. The film, which opened with Rs 1.7 crore on Friday, witnessed a decline on Saturday with Rs 1 crore. Sunday, which was expected to show strong growth, stayed muted with only Rs 80 lakhs (early estimates by the Sacnilk website).
Day 3 occupancy shows minimal improvement
On its first Sunday, ‘Vilayath Buddha’ registered just 14.19% Malayalam occupancy across theatres. Morning shows recorded the lowest turnout at 8.23%. The evening shows managed a moderate push with 19%. Night shows too remained weak.
Performances shine, but familiar themes hold back impact
Directed by Jayan Nambiar, the film features Prithviraj Sukumaran in a raw and intense avatar, supported by Shammi Thilakan, Priyamvada Krishnan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Rajashree, and Anu Mohan.As ETimes review notes, “It is good to see Prithviraj playing a raw character. The man has charm and he makes the anti-hero appealing enough to make us root for him, but he falters a bit in the emotional scenes.” Shammi Thilakan is praised as “super as the Bhaskaran Master, making us laugh at him, sympathise with him and feel exasperated with his stubbornness.” The review also credits Anu Mohan as “charming” and acknowledges Priyamvada Krishnan’s strong presence. In the technical department, “A special mention to Arvind Kashyap and Renadive for gripping cinematography.” While the film is recognised as “well made,” it is also pointed out that “with battling male egos at its crux and the massy elements, it feels a bit ‘more of the same’.”DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. We strive for accuracy and all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned. We offer a fair representation of the project’s box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions on toientertainment@timesinternet.in
