Dhanush and Rashmika’s Kuberaa Opens Strong, Impresses in Smaller Cities While Gaining Momentum Nationwide

The highly anticipated return of Dhanush to the big screen, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, delivered a solid start at the box office with Kuberaa collecting ₹13 crore on its opening day. The picture, which was directed by Sekhar Kammula and released on June 20, has received a lot of excellent reviews, paving the way for a successful weekend.
The film, which also stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Jim Sarbh, and Dalip Tahil in pivotal roles, recorded a noteworthy occupancy rate throughout the day. Morning shows saw audiences fill nearly 40% of available seats, while night shows experienced a substantial surge, peaking at an impressive 78.87%. Despite these high points, the overall Telugu language occupancy settled just below the 60% mark on the opening day.

When broken down by region, Kuberaa witnessed a mixed response. Smaller towns clearly embraced the film with enthusiasm, particularly Mahbubnagar, which led the way with an extraordinary 88.25% occupancy rate and night shows soaring to 96%, albeit across just four screenings. Hyderabad and Vizag followed suit with strong turnouts, both exceeding 67%, with Hyderabad offering an extensive 530 shows. Cities like Kakinada and Warangal also showed solid attendance numbers. Conversely, Bengaluru recorded a comparatively low turnout of 35.25%, while major urban centers like NCR and Mumbai registered minimal audiences.

The Tamil version of the film struggled to match its Telugu counterpart’s performance, maintaining occupancy below 35% through Friday.

Online reactions have been largely in Kuberaa’s favor, with social media users praising its intense crime-thriller narrative layered with philosophical and emotional undertones. The film has been hailed as a powerful reflection of contemporary society, steering clear of clichés and formulaic storytelling. Many viewers described Dhanush’s role as one of his finest to date, while the character development and dialogue writing earned widespread applause. Audience sentiment suggests the film is well-positioned to gain momentum over the weekend, particularly in regions where its appeal has already struck a chord.