In a time when even the largest films are faltering, The Kerala Story arrives. The film, directed by Sudipto Sen, has not only had a very strong debut but has also performed better than all but four Hindi films released in 2023. Only Pathaan, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, and Bholaa earned more on the first day of release for a Hindi film in 2023.
The film’s promotion only began a couple of weeks ago, and while it did surprise quite a few, there aren’t that many people chatting about it. It wasn’t until Monday of this week that the film appeared to be a genuine contender for an opening, though it appeared that the best-case scenario would be an opening of Rs 1-2 crore.
Since the film lacks a conventional entertainment quotient, it appeared to be one of those films arriving in theaters because OTT was taking a wait-and-see approach before granting it a digital premium. Now, the opposite has occurred, as the film has not only gotten off to a phenomenal start but also generated such elation that it will continue to play for many weeks.
The Kerala Story is 2023’s big surprise hit.
This means that OTT will receive a very excellent deal for itself, and other opportunities will become available for the Vipul Shah film.
In terms of its opening day earnings, the film grossed as much as Rs 8.03 crore on its first day of release. Comparatively, Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, a film that was larger in scope, setting, and characters, debuted at Rs 1.27 crore. Indeed,
The Kerala Story’s first-day earnings are greater than Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway’s first-weekend gross of Rs. 6.42 crore. The film starring Rani Mukerji has grossed just over 20 crore rupees worldwide, and The Kerela Story should surpass that figure today.
Where does the movie go from here? Well, it’s a given that the film will gross at least Rs 75 crore, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the film starring Adah Sharma joined the 100 Crore Club.
This film, which is precisely in the same vein as Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, is capable of almost anything. This film opened at Rs 3.55 crores and grossed Rs 253 crores over its entire run to become an all-time blockbuster.
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which has been in theaters for 15 days and earned Rs 108 crore, is now nearing the end of its run. What appeared to be an open month ahead will not be the case, as The Kerala Story has turned out to be enormous, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 has also debuted well at Rs 7 crore.
It is an impressive performance, with the new releases accruing nearly as much (Rs 15 crore) as the Salman Khan-starring Eid release did on its opening day (Rs 15.81 crore).
Long had distributors and exhibitors awaited the arrival of something extraordinary that would give the theater industry a boost. This has now occurred with The Kerala Story, and presumably this is just the beginning of many more positive developments in the weeks to come.
