Liger, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday, opened in theatres on Thursday following a massive promotional campaign across the country. Vijay’s Hindi debut was overhyped, but if early reports of the film’s box office collection are any indication, the film has succumbed to the curse that is currently afflicting the Bollywood box office. The film received mostly negative reviews upon its initial release, sparking meme trends.
According to AndhraBoxOffice.com, Liger, directed by Puri Jagannadh, began its box office journey with a worldwide collection of Rs 24.5 crore. According to reports, the Arjun Reddy star’s film earned around Rs 15 crore in the Telugu belt, but the much-hyped Hindi version debuted at a dismal Rs 5 crore. The film is expected to do well in Telugu states, where Vijay has a large fan base. However, the film has been marketed as a pan-India release and must perform well, particularly in the North. The Hindi figures are somewhat disappointing because the makers of Liger went on numerous city tours to generate excitement for the film, which has not translated into numbers.
AndhraBoxOffice.com predicted that Liger would gross Rs 35 crore, but the film fell short of that. “Liger should more than double Dear Comrade’s first-day take.” Many things have changed between that film and Liger. The market has expanded and become more dynamic. Dear Comrade’s worldwide earnings were probably around Rs 18 crore. And I believe Liger will gross close to Rs 35 crore on its release day.”
Liger, marketed as a pan-India film, has received mixed reviews from critics. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film one star and described it as a “cringe-fest of mammoth proportions.” “There’s nothing new or exciting about the ingredients used to make this Vijay Deverakonda film.” “The plot is full of bizarre situations, and the treatment is jaded,” read part of the review.
Liger, which also stars Ramya Krishnan, Ronit Roy, and Mike Tyson, was in the works for three years before being delayed due to the pandemic. The ‘boycott’ trend erupted last week after Vijay spoke out in support of Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha.
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