NTR - Kathanayakudu box office collection day 1: Krish scores biggest opener for Balakrishna

Director Krish's NTR: Kathanayakudu has got a brilliant opening at the worldwide box office. The movie has become the biggest opener for Balakrishna, beating the record of Gautamiputra Satakarani (GPS).

A host of factors have created huge hype and made NTR: Kathanayakudu the most awaited Telugu movie of the year. Besides spending heavily on production, the makers also shelled out a hefty sum on its publicity. Balakrishna, Krish and Vidya Balan toured Bangalore, Tirupati to promote the film and they also gave several interviews to different sections of media houses.

The hype made its theatrical rights sell at a record price and distributors made booked over 1,100 screens for NTR: Kathanayakudu to cash in on the NTR mania around the world. The movie also managed to get a decent advance booking. After seeing this fan frenzy, trade analyst predicted that the film would start with a bang and become the biggest opener for Balakrishna and Krish.

The biopic of late legendary actor NT Rama Rao had 600 premiere shows held in 200 cinema halls across the US on January 8, a day before it hit the screen in India. NTR: Kathanayakudu witnessed a huge number of footfalls and collected $476,384 at the US box office in its preview shows on Tuesday. It broke the record of Gautamiputra Satakarani, which was the biggest opener for Krish and Balayya.

Its screening began in the wee hours of Wednesday in some centres in the Telugu states and Karnataka and most of the cinema halls footfalls. NTR: Kathanayakudu was successful in winning the hearts of the viewers and positive response took its collection upwards in the later shows. The movie ran to packed houses in several cinema halls throughout its opening day.

As per early estimates, NTR: Kathanayakudu has collected approximately Rs 21 crore gross at the worldwide box office on the first day. The movie is estimated to have earned Rs 13 crore for its distributors, which invested Rs 70 crore. It has shattered the record of Gautamiputra Satakarani, which was the biggest opener for Krish and Balakrishna its collection of Rs 18.50 crore gross.