After a decent start over the weekend, Dacoit: A Love Story is hitting its first major bump. The ‘Monday Test,’ the ultimate vibe check for any big release, didn’t go quite as planned for the Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur starrer, with collections taking a noticeable hit as the work week began.
Dacoit: A Love Story Box Office Collection Day 4
The film managed to scrape together roughly Rs 2.70 crore in India on its fourth day, according to early industry tracking from Sacnilk. This brings its domestic net total to Rs 22.50 crore, with a gross figure of Rs 26.24 crore.
On the international front, the movie has pulled in about Rs 12.25 crore, pushing its global total to Rs 38.49 crore, as per Sacnilk. While the collections aren’t disastrous, the sharp drop-off from Sunday to Monday is concerning for the producers.
The hype vs reality
The hype was real after the trailer release, but now, after the release, the feedback is all over the place. Netizens are not very impressed with the chemistry between the leads. Also, fans pointed out that the movie feels way too long. It seems like the ‘slow’ parts are boring some viewers, which is why the buzz is starting to fade.
Critics have pointed out that the script feels overstretched and that ‘tighter editing’ could have saved the narrative from dragging in the middle.
Empty seats and regional outliers
Monday’s occupancy rates tell a sobering story. Across the Telugu states, theatres were running at less than 20% capacity on average. However, Warangal is proving to be the film’s strongest stronghold, maintaining a decent 34% occupancy, but other major hubs have gone quiet. Without a significant ‘pull’ in the metros, the film is struggling to fill seats during the work week.
The 100-crore question
The stakes are exceptionally high given that Dacoit reportedly cost between Rs 80 and Rs 100 crore to produce. To be labelled a ‘hit,’ the film needs more than just a decent weekend; it needs a steady, high-volume run. At its current pace, the movie is looking at a difficult climb to reach the break-even point.
Unless there is a sudden spike in collections over the coming weekend, it will have to rely heavily on its non-theatrical revenue.
Dacoit: A Love Story: Story, cast, and OTT platform
Directed by Shaneil Deo, the film follows the gritty journey of a man fueled by betrayal and revenge. The film has a strong supporting cast, including Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Raj, and Atul Kulkarni, but even this star power hasn’t quite insulated the film from the box office dip. The silver lining? A digital deal with Amazon Prime Video is already confirmed. The Telugu version will hit the platform a few weeks post-release, with the Hindi version following later. The date is yet to be announced.