RRR (hindi) has scored very well on day one with collections in the 19 crore nett range and there will be another 2-2.50 crore nett plus coming from The Telugu version in Hindi circuits as well. The Telugu version is excellent with very high occupancy. The outperformance is in mass markets but multiplexes have also done well though this does look due to higher ticket rates as occupancy seems to be on the lower side. The occupancy rates are just a bit better than GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI

The performance in very good across the states especially the UP and Bihar markets. Maharashtra is also very good but actually could have been better as the South dubbed films have a bigger craze here. The first day number is an excellent number considering it being a South film with little face value. It has a huge budget and high costs associated with it and for that maybe a higher number was needed but the audience does not go by those things.

The key for the film is where it goes from here as there is plenty of spare capacity due to higher rates and the potential is there to record higher numbers. The first day number is good so its not about that huge 50 or 60% growth but a solid uptrend on day two especially in the multiplexes.

The opening day is the second best of the year and it has beaten SOORYAVANSHI in some circuits recording the highest opening day post the pandemic in these places. The film is generally lower than SAAHO in all circuits though maybe when the finals of CP Berar come then it could be better in that circuit.

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The biggest plus for the film industry with the release of RRR is that it has bought back the Bihar circuit which has been lagging since November. A HIT film like SOORYAVANSHI which should have done very well in Bihar collected just 55 lakhs on day one at that time as cinemas opened up and now RRR has collected almost 1 crore nett in the circuit. The collections in the circuit remained dull post SOORYAVANSHI.

The signs were there last week as BACHCHHAN PAANDEY picked up 48 lakhs on Sunday which was the first day when it played on all its scheduled cinemas and it was day three by that time and still was so close to SOORYAVANSHI. Still the collections have to come and this week they have come with RRR. It is not as high as pre pandemic numbers of some big films but those big films also did more than RRR at an all India level.

This was the only circuit which was lagging and now the whole picture is pretty much complete as to where we were before the pandemic. There may well be a smaller audience pool than before the pandemic but the circuit ratios seems to pretty much the same now.

The top first day collections post the pandemic in Bihar are as follows.

1. RRR - 94 lakhs

2. Sooryavanshi - 55 lakhs

3. Bachchhan Paandey - 48 lakhs (Sunday)

The above three are the only collections of note due to the circuit not doing well since cinemas reopened in November.