'Ninnindale' Box Office Collection: Puneeth Rajkumar Starrer Creates New Record, Earns Rs 2.5 crore on Day 1

Puneeth Rajkumar's "Ninnindale" has taken a record opening on the first day of its release.

"Ninnindale" has grossed ₹2.5 crore on the opening day, setting a new record at the Kannada box office. The romantic entertainer was one of the most-awaited films of 2014 as the film marked the return of "Power Star" Puneeth Rajkumar on the big screen after a gap of one year.

Expectations were high for "Ninnindale" prior to the film's release on 16 January. The Puneeth starrer was released in 191 theatres across Karnataka and had 850 shows on the first day, reported The Times of India. The film took a grand opening upon its release and earned ₹2.5 crore, a record for any Kannada film.

Directed by Telugu film director Jayanth Paranjee, "Ninnindale" is a romantic story set in the backdrop of New York, United States. Vicky Venkatesh (Puneeth), an adventure sports enthusiast, lives with his family in New York. Vicky meets Pramila (Erica Fernandes) one day and helps her attend an interview giving her confidence. The duo becomes good friends and soon Pramila falls in love with Vicky, but he believes it is just friendship. What happens next forms the crux of the story.

The film has received mixed response from critics. Puneeth and Erica's performance have been appreciated, but critics feel that the other actors have been wasted in the film.

Telugu actor Brahmanandam has made his Kannada debut with "Ninnindale". The other cast members include Sadhu Kokila, Thilak Shekar, Vinayak Joshi and Sonia Deepti.

While critics have given mixed feedback, fans have given big thumbs up for the film which is evident from the first day collections. It remains to be seen as to how "Ninnindale" performs in its opening weekend.