Nandamuri Balakrishna’s much-awaited action film, Akhanda 2: Thaandavam, directed by Boyapati Sreenu, opened to a promising start at the box office, thanks to paid premiere shows in India. In North America, the film collected $452,000 from premiere screenings alone, making it the fourth-highest opening for a Balakrishna movie in the region.
Despite a last-minute postponement, the distributors managed to secure a good number of screens for the release. So far, Akhanda 2 has earned just over $900,000 in North America. However, collections have slowed down after the initial excitement, partly due to mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Trade analysts suggest the film now needs to pick up momentum to reach its breakeven point in the overseas market.
Adding to the challenge, the upcoming release of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to create stiff competition during the second weekend. Industry experts feel that the film could have performed better if it had released on its originally planned date, December 5, but unforeseen issues forced the makers to delay the launch.
While the film has shown potential at the start, its future performance in North America will depend on word-of-mouth and sustained audience interest. Fans of Balakrishna hope the movie regains traction so that the action-packed sequel lives up to its high expectations.