The Kerala Story 2 box office collection Day 1: Controversial movie gets weak response, empty theatres across India
The Kerala Story 2, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, has had a lukewarm box office start. Protests erupted in Kerala against the film's content, which some claim tarnishes the state's image.
The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under Sunshine Pictures and directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, has made a lukewarm start at the box office. Made on an estimated budget of around ₹30 crore, the film was released on 27 February.
It is a sequel to the 2023 blockbuster The Kerala Story, which was made on a smaller budget of about ₹15–20 crore. That movie earned ₹8.03 on its release day. In comparison, the latest release collected ₹3.5 crore at the box office, according to Sacnilk. To reach break-even, the film needs to earn at least ₹60 crore.
Kerala Story 2: Empty theatres across India
Among metros, the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded an overall occupancy of 14% across 473 shows. Mumbai stood at 8.75% with 538 shows, according to Sacnilk.
Pune saw 11.25% occupancy, and Hyderabad registered 11.75%. Bengaluru remained on the lower side at 6.75% while Kolkata posted 8%.
Ahmedabad performed better, with an overall occupancy of 17% across 366 shows. Chennai reported 31%, but with only 18 shows. Surat saw just 5% occupancy despite 237 shows.
Among smaller centres, Chandigarh recorded 24.5% while Bhopal led strongly with 34% overall occupancy, including 47% in night shows. Lucknow stood at 12.5%, and Jaipur recorded 8.75%, according to Sacnilk.
Evening and night shows generally performed better than those in the morning and afternoon. Overall, the film showed stronger traction in select northern and central cities.
Protests in Kerala
Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) protested outside theatres across Kerala that were screening The Kerala Story 2. The protesters said they would not allow people to watch the film, PTI reported. According to them, the movie shows Kerala in a negative light and damages the state’s image.
DYFI leaders have clarified that they are not against moviegoers or theatre owners. They say their protest is only against the film’s content. TV visuals showed protesters shouting slogans and tearing down posters outside some theatres.
Meanwhile, early ticket sales appear low in some areas. According to BookMyShow data, bookings in Thiruvananthapuram were limited. At PVR in Lulu Mall, only 68 tickets had been booked by 10 AM for 4 shows.
In Kochi, Shenoy theatre owner Suresh said around 50% seats were booked for four shows. According to him, evening and night shows are seeing better response compared to morning shows.
However, Suresh has pointed out that the 2023 movie also had a slow start. The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, went on to mint ₹302 crore at the box office worldwide.
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