Jr NTR's latest film Devara: Part 1 directed by Koratala Siva has broken box office records by surpassing Kalki 2898 AD to become the highest opener in the Telugu film industry this year. The film was released in theaters on September 27 and as expected, it created a lot of anticipation for the release date with its advance bookings doing quite well.
Devara: Part 1 received immense interest even among the audiences before the movie was released. The advance collection for the film was stupendous, as more than ₹40 crores were collected just on the very first day of the film's release in India. Worldwide the film's pre-sales exceeded ₹75 crore making it one of the most successful openings for an Indian movie in recent times. Its performance at the box office was even stronger than Prabhas' Kalki 2898 AD which had been the benchmark for Telugu movie openings this year.
According to industry trackers Devara: Part 1 earned over ₹70 crore in India on its first day with ₹68.6 crore coming from the Telugu market alone. The total earnings including collections from Hindi Tamil Kannada and Malayalam versions brought the overall collection to ₹77 crore. The film's occupancy in Telugu cinemas was reported to be around 79.56% contributing significantly to its success.
The film's opening day performance has been remarkable as it surpassed the numbers set by Kalki 2898 AD which opened with ₹65.8 crore in the Telugu market. With Devara: Part 1 collecting ₹68.6 crore from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it now holds the title of the biggest opener of the year in the region.
Here's a look at the top Telugu movies' opening day collections in 2024:
1. Devara: Part 1 - ₹68.6 crore
2. Kalki 2898 AD - ₹65.8 crore
3. Guntur Kaaram - ₹41.3 crore
4. Tillu Square - ₹11.7 crore
5. Saripodhaa Sanivaaram - ₹8.75 crore
Star-Studded Cast and Plot
Devara: Part 1 features an impressive cast including Jr NTR Saif Ali Khan Janhvi Kapoor Prakash Raj Srikanth Meka and Tom Shine Chacko. Jr NTR plays a dual role portraying the characters of Devara and Varadha set against the backdrop of a coastal village. The plot revolves around power struggles with Jr NTR's characters driving the intense narrative.
Saif Ali Khan portrays Bhaira a wrestling expert whose world is shaken by Jr NTR's character. Devara: Part 1 marks Jr NTR's return to the big screen as a solo hero almost after six years following his last solo release Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava in 2018. Although Jr NTR starred in RRR in 2022 Devara is his much-awaited solo comeback.
