HYDERABAD – Vijay Deverakonda’s much-anticipated film Kingdom has delivered a record-breaking performance at the box office, collecting a staggering ₹39 crore worldwide on its opening day. This impressive debut, announced by the film’s production house, Sithara Entertainments, makes it the actor’s highest-ever opening day gross, signaling a strong comeback for the star after a series of underwhelming box office results.
The film, which was released on a non-holiday Thursday, earned an estimated ₹15.50 crore net in India, with strong occupancy rates in the Telugu-speaking states. This number is slightly short of the domestic opening of his 2022 film Liger, but the worldwide gross easily surpassed it, as well as the opening of his other recent releases, Kushi and The Family Star. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vijay Deverakonda celebrated the success, writing, “BOOM. Manam Kottinam. (We have a hit).”
The film’s producer, Naga Vamsi, had already predicted a strong opening, telling the press that he expected Kingdom to make around ₹40 crore worldwide. The strong performance of the film has already surpassed the lifetime collections of Deverakonda’s earlier films, including Dear Comrade (2019) and The Family Star (2024), within a single day.
Kingdom, directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri of Jersey fame, is an action-drama that tells the story of a police constable-turned-spy (played by Deverakonda) who goes on a high-stakes mission to Sri Lanka to find his long-lost brother (Satyadev). While the film has received a mixed bag of reviews, with some critics praising Deverakonda’s performance and the film’s emotional core while others point to an inconsistent narrative, the massive box office collection shows that audience excitement and fan support are at an all-time high. The movie has been a strategic shift for the actor, moving away from a “pan-India playbook” to a more grounded, emotional action-drama.
With the film’s theatrical rights sold for a high value, the movie will need to maintain its momentum to break even and become a blockbuster. However, the strong start gives it a great opportunity to succeed, especially with no major competition in the Telugu market this weekend.