'HanuMan' emerges as 2024's first blockbuster, surpassing KGF & Kantara in opening weekend collections

Telugu film "HanuMan," led by Teja Sajja, has stamped its authority as the first blockbuster of 2024, raking in an impressive Rs 40.65 crore over its opening weekend. Surpassing the likes of Yash-starrer "KGF: Chapter 1" and Rishab Shetty's "Kantara," the movie's box office triumph has even placed it on par with the colossal success of Allu Arjun's "Pushpa: The Rise."

The film kicked off with a lukewarm start at Rs 8 crore but experienced a massive surge in collections, all thanks to the positive word of mouth that quickly spread like wildfire. Going head-to-head with Mahesh Babu's "Guntur Kaaram," "HanuMan" not only managed to hold its own but also displayed a remarkable uptick in Sunday collections, reaching Rs 16 crore.

Even though "HanuMan" started behind with a larger opening by Mahesh Babu's film, the overall weekend collection stands at a staggering Rs 40.65 crore. The film's Telugu version leads the pack with Rs 28.21 crore, followed by the Hindi version at Rs 12 crore. The Tamil and Kannada versions contributed Rs 19 lakh each, and the Malayalam version brought in Rs 6 lakh over the opening weekend.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to social media to confirm the film's triumph, stating on X, "Here’s the big surprise… #HanuMan first 3-day [opening weekend] total is higher than #KGF [first part] and #Kantara, at par with #Pushpa [note: all #Hindi dubbed versions]… Yes, you read it right! #HanuMan emerges first hit of 2024… Packs an impressive total in its opening weekend."

Adarsh further emphasized the film's strong hold in mass sectors, predicting continued success on weekdays. He pointed out that the lack of major releases until the arrival of Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone's "Fighter" on January 25th would further contribute to "HanuMan" solidifying its blockbuster status.

Directed by Prasanth Varma, the film boasts a stellar cast including Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Amritha Aiyer, and Vinay Rai.