Mumbai: The release of The Kerala Story 2 turned into a rollercoaster ride, but the film still managed to put up a respectable performance at the box office. Released under lots of controversy and legal challenges, the second installment eventually found its way into the theaters on Friday evening, earning approximately around Rs 75 lakh nett during the late-night shows alone.
The Kerala High Court had on Thursday stayed the release of the film, casting doubt on the film making its appearance in theaters. Nevertheless, midday reversed the order on Friday, and screenings started only after 6 PM. Several cinemas could start shows even later, turning Friday into more of a paid preview day rather than a full opening. Despite these challenges, the film managed to draw decent footfalls, indicating curiosity among viewers.
Strong Opening Despite Delays and Controversy
During its opening week, The Kerala Story 2 collected a nett amount of approximately Rs 3.5 crores on the first day, a Friday, and the second day, which is Saturday, February 28. The movie also made almost 20,000 bookings in BookMyShow, which indicates that the audience had good interest in the film despite the confusion over its release.
The occupancy rates remained small yet promising in the situation. Average occupancy in the country was 11.9 percent. Delhi was doing better with 14 percent occupancy in 473 shows, whereas Mumbai who had 538 shows had a lower occupancy of 8.75 percent.
According to trade experts, the controversy, court stays, and the mainstream media coverage likely contributed to increasing the level of curiosity. Controversy is generally considered free publicity, and in this instance, it appears to have served to generate some early momentum.
Can the Sequel Match the Original’s Success?
The original The Kerala Story was a surprise blockbuster, opening at Rs 6 crore nett and eventually collecting around Rs 230 crore nett in India. Despite criticism and debates around its narrative, the film found massive support, especially in the Hindi belt, where it even performed like an educational film in certain regions.
It is yet to be seen whether the sequel would be a repeat of this success or not. Politically or social motivated films reached its highest point between 2022 and 2023, and more recent productions in this genre experienced a downturn. Nevertheless, the powerful trailer of The Kerala Story 2 has played in its favour, creating interest and debate.
Notably, the movie does not have to follow the huge scores of the original. Even one-half of that amount would be a decidedly good showing by trade standards.
Clear Run Until March 19
The film now enjoys a clear theatrical window until March 19, before big releases like Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic arrive. Provided that it can find its target audience during the weekend, it may have a good run during the following three weeks and have stable box office receipts.
Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, The Kerala Story 2 has already proven that audience interest is very much alive. The coming days will decide whether this curiosity converts into long-term box office success.
Also Read | Kerala High Court Orders 15-Day Stay on ‘The Kerala Story 2’, Halts Release Just a Day Before Premiere
