Rajinikanth-starrer "Kabali" continues to do well in Chennai. Despite getting mixed reviews from the critics and failing to win the appreciation of hardcore Rajini fans, the multilingual flick has made a fantastic collection at the box office on its sixth day (Wednesday).
"Mid Week Box-Office : #Kabali like rock of Gibraltar. Extra strong 3C's - Chennai, Chengalpet & Coimbatore. [sic]" trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai tweeted. The industry insiders say that the collection of "Kabali" has seen a normal dip that every big film goes through post first weekend, but the occupancy rate is better than the usual films.
"Kabali," which collected Rs. 3.49 crore in the first weekend in Chennai, has earned above Rs. 5.5 crore in the capital city of Tamil Nadu. The movie enjoyed over 65 percent occupancy, with prime-time shows running into packed houses on its sixth day. AGS Cinemas, Luxe Cinemas, Abirami Cinemas, PVR and Woodlands were the theatres that enjoyed good viewership.
The best part of the story is that the advance booking for weekend shows have met great success. "Extraordinary advance bookings for this weekend. Will be giving 8 shows for #Kabali , shows starting 9.15 am ..., [sic]" Rakesh Gowthaman, managing director of Vettri Theatres, tweeted.
The major advantage that "Kabali" is enjoying is that no notable films are releasing this week. Hence, the exhibitors will be screening Rajinikanth's film throughout.
Meanwhile, "Kabali" has reached Rs. 150-crore mark at the domestic box office. Apart from Tamil Nadu, the movie has performed well in Kerala and Karnataka although the business in the weekdays in both the states have slowed down post the first weekend.
"Kabali," which earned about Rs. 225 crore from the various rights before its release, is written and directed by Pa Ranjith. The Kalaippuli S Thanu-produced film has Radhika Apte in the female lead. The film was simultaneously released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. The Malay version will hit screens in Malaysia this week.
[1 lakh = 100,000 | 1 crore = 10 million | 100 crore = 1 billion]
