Sumanth’s latest outing Mahendragiri Varahi hit theatres yesterday. While the film opened on a decent note, the response reportedly improved considerably with the evening shows, resulting in a steady rise in collections.
Producer Madhu revealed that the film collected Rs 1.20 crore gross on its first day. He said the screen count has been increased by more than 70 from Saturday, with the film also witnessing a rise in the number of screens in Odisha.
The producer expressed confidence that the second-day collections could be nearly three times higher than the first-day figure.
Director Santossh Jagarlapudi admitted that he had some doubts about how audiences would react to the twists and shocking turns in the narrative, but said the response had exceeded his expectations.
“The film draws certain elements from the Mysore Maharaja dynasty, particularly the belief surrounding a royal family affected by a divine curse and struggling to have an heir. The confrontation between Sumanth and Siddhu has emerged as one of the major talking points,” he said.
Sumanth expressed happiness over the appreciation coming from audiences, friends and well-wishers. He said the film took some time to pick up but has now gained momentum on the strength of positive word of mouth.
He further revealed that the film is trending on BookMyShow.
“When I first heard the story, I felt that the twists were one of its biggest highlights. However, I had doubts about how audiences would receive them. I am now very happy with the response,” Sumanth said.
He also revealed that the team is planning extensive grassroots-level promotions to take the film closer to audiences.
