Rajinikanth's latest outing "Lingaa" has shown a small dip in collections at the Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Telangana box office on Saturday. Reason: the average word of mouth has taken a toll on its business on the second day.
Released in record-breaking number of theatres across both the states, the Telugu version of "Lingaa" debuted with an overwhelming response from movie buffs on 12 December.
Having registered 100 percent occupancy almost everywhere, the movie collected approximately ₹5 crore nett at the AP and Telangana box office on the first day. It was expected to put up a good show on Saturday also.
But the Telugu version failed to meet expectations that it had created before its release. The likely reason seems to be that the movie got mixed reviews from film critics and viewers; almost everyone blasted the director and editor for dragging the flashback in the second half of the film.
There was some consolation, as the movie got good amount of advance booking for Saturday and it reportedly witnessed 100 percent occupancy in both single screens and multiplexes in many centres.
But the movie was able to attract an average of only 70 percent to 80 percent footfalls in some areas. As per early trends, the film has collected ₹4+ crore nett at the AP and Telangana box offices on the second day. Its two-day total collection stands at ₹9+ crore.
The film has performed well in Tamil Nadu, apart from centres abroad. It collected ₹37 crore on the first day and ₹33 crore on the second day. The film has raked in approximately ₹70 crore nett at the worldwide box office in two days.
It is expected to show a decent jump on Sunday and cross the ₹100-crore mark in the first weekend.
