Mumbai, November 15, 2025: The big-budget period drama, Kaantha, has completed its first day at the box office. The film, starring South Indian superstar Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati, was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. It was released yesterday, November 14, in Tamil and Telugu, with dubbed versions. All eyes were on this film to see if it could create a new record.

Kaantha Box Office Collection Day 1

Kaantha has made a collection of ₹4.1 crore in India on its opening day.

Note: Numbers derived from current box-office data, trade sources, distributors and ticketing platforms; cross-checked with partners and updated regularly. See our Methodology Page.

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This number is lower than many in the trade were expecting. It gives us a very clear picture of the film’s demand. The opening is slow, and it shows that the movie has a big challenge ahead of it. The real test for this period drama begins now, on its first weekend.

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Kaantha Day 1 Box Office: What the ₹4 Crore Opening Reveals About Its Demand

Kaantha, the stylish period thriller, has finally arrived in cinemas. The film has a huge star cast, with Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Samuthirakani, and Bhagyashri Borse. The trailers promised a grand cinematic experience, set in the 1950s Madras film world. There was a lot of buzz around the film.

Now, the first-day box office numbers are here. The film has collected ₹4.1 crore (All India Net) on Day 1. This is a very average start. For a film of this size and with such big stars, this opening is a cause for concern.

The demand for the film on its first day was clearly not high. It shows that the audience was interested, but not enough to rush to the theatres on Friday. The film’s collections are mainly from the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu and the Telugu states. The performance in the Hindi-dubbed version was very low.

A Slow Start for a Big-Scale Movie

The ₹4.1 crore collection is a lukewarm response. Everyone expected a bigger start from Dulquer Salmaan. His films often open well, especially in the South. This low number shows that the pre-release hype did not turn into ticket sales.

The advance bookings for Kaantha were also just average. They never showed the sign of a massive opening. The film relied heavily on “spot booking,” where people buy tickets at the counter. A slow start in spot booking means the general public was in a “wait and watch” mode.

This opening shows that the film is not a “front-loaded” blockbuster. It is not an action movie that pulls in huge crowds on the first day. The demand is limited.

The “Period Drama” Genre Challenge

We must remember that Kaantha is a period drama and a mystery thriller. This is a niche genre. It is not a “masala” entertainer for everyone. The story is about the ego clash between an actor and a director in the 1950s. This subject appeals more to serious cinema lovers and urban audiences.

Films in this genre often start slowly. They are not like action films. Their success depends completely on good reviews and audience talk. The ₹4.1 crore start shows that the film only pulled in the hardcore fans of the actors. The general family audience has stayed away for now.

Clash with De De Pyaar De 2

Kaantha did not have a solo release. It clashed with the big Bollywood film De De Pyaar De 2. This Hindi rom-com opened much bigger at ₹8.50 crore. This clash has directly hurt Kaantha.

In big cities and multiplexes, the screens were divided. The Hindi film took a big share of the audience. Kaantha, with its more serious tone, lost a part of the multiplex crowd to the lighter-hearted rom-com. This division of screens and audience has clearly damaged its opening day potential.

What Does This Low Opening Mean for the Film?

The Day 1 number of ₹4.1 crore is a weak foundation. The film’s entire future now depends on one thing: strong word-of-mouth.

If the audience who watched it on Friday truly loved it, they will become the film’s marketing team. They will spread positive reviews. This is the only way the film can see a big jump in collections on Saturday and Sunday.

The film has received mixed reviews. Most critics have praised Dulquer Salmaan’s powerful performance. They have also liked the grand visuals and the 1950s setting. However, many have said the film is too long and the second half, which is an investigation, is slow. This “mixed” talk is very dangerous for a film with a slow start. It needs glowing, positive reports to grow.

The All-Important Weekend Test

Today (Saturday) is the most important day for Kaantha. The film must show a big jump in collections. A 50% jump would be a decent sign. But to be safe, the film needs to jump 70-80% or even double its Friday numbers.

If the collections stay flat or only grow a little (20-30%), it will be a disaster. That would mean the audience has rejected the film. The low opening means the film’s budget is very hard to recover. The producers, Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati, have spent a lot to make the film look grand. To get that money back, the film needs to run for many weeks. A slow start makes that very difficult.

Star Power vs. Content

The opening of ₹4.1 crore is purely because of the star power of Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati. Their names pulled in some audience. Without them, a niche film like this might have opened even lower.

But the low number also shows that star power has a limit. The audience today cares more about the trailer and the music. The Kaantha trailer was stylish, but maybe it did not connect with the mass audience. The music was not a chartbuster.

The demand for the film is weak because the “content” (the story) seems to be for a limited audience. The film now has to fight for survival. It needs to find its audience over the weekend.

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Our Opinion

In our opinion, the ₹4.1 crore opening is a very disappointing start. For a film co-produced by and starring Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati, this number is a shock. It shows a huge disconnect between the film’s hype and the on-ground reality.

The clash with De De Pyaar De 2 was a bad idea, and it has clearly failed. The demand for Kaantha is very low. The film’s report is also mixed. We believe the film is in big trouble. It needed a good start to survive, and it did not get one. The road to recovery from here is extremely tough. We do not see it making a big comeback from this position.

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