Naga Chaitanya’s Thandel has registered a strong first week at the box office, amassing approximately ₹73 crore gross and ₹40 crore share worldwide. This marks the biggest first-week collection of Chaitanya’s career and has already surpassed his previous records to become his highest-grossing film. The movie has achieved breakeven worldwide, with most territories reaching or nearing profitability.
Overseas Struggles:
While Thandel has performed well domestically, the overseas market tells a different story. The film has yet to reach its breakeven point internationally, and a strong second weekend is essential for it to end up as an average performer in these regions.
Thandel’s Underwhelming Performance in Hindi & Tamil Markets:
Designed as a pan-India film, Thandel saw its team actively promote the movie in Chennai and Mumbai, hoping for a solid response in Tamil and Hindi markets. Unfortunately, these versions have failed to generate significant numbers theatrically, disappointing the makers. However, the Tamil and Hindi versions have secured lucrative non-theatrical deals, including a major OTT agreement with Netflix, which reportedly covered one-third of the film’s budget. Despite these digital gains, their theatrical revenue remains minimal.
Can Thandel Cross ₹100 Crore?
With the Valentine’s Day weekend approaching, all eyes are on the film’s box office trajectory. The Naga Chaitanya-Sai Pallavi starrer requires a minimum ₹15 crore weekend to push its total closer to ₹90 crore. If this milestone is achieved, Thandel will have a solid chance of crossing the coveted ₹100 crore mark by the end of its theatrical run. The next three days will be crucial in determining its final box office standing.