Nandamuri Balakrishna and director Boyapati Srinu’s much-anticipated film Akhanda 2, which released on December 12, recorded steady collections on its first weekend, and yet the collections fell short, according to trade analysts.
This marks the fourth collaboration between Balakrishna and Boyapati Sreenu. All their previous three films - Akhanda, Simha, and Legend - were massive box-office hits. However, when compared to those films, Akhanda 2 has failed to generate similar momentum, with its collections not meeting expectations.
Originally scheduled for a December 5 release, the film was postponed to December 12 due to financial hassles. Upon release, it received mixed responses, with critics largely unimpressed. Even among Balakrishna’s fans, the feedback over the first weekend has been divided.
As reported earlier, Akhanda 2 collected nearly ₹30 crore net on its opening day, with the majority of the business coming from the two Telugu states. On the second day, the film earned around ₹15 crore, and it collected a similar amount on the third day, Sunday. Overall, the film’s net collection for the first three days stands at approximately ₹60 crore across India in all languages.
Boyapati Srinu is known for his high-octane and often illogical storytelling. In Akhanda 2, the director appears to rely heavily on a few specific scenes rather than focusing on a strong narrative, which has affected the film’s overall performance. As a result, the collections have remained below expectations. Interestingly, while the first Akhanda saw its collections grow steadily, the sequel has witnessed a downward trend.
The film also suffered a major setback in the Hindi belt, where it turned out to be a complete flop. For the first time, Balakrishna and Boyapati Srinu promoted the film through select Hindi YouTube channels. Despite these efforts, the Hindi audience showed little interest. The film reportedly collected only around ₹35 lakh in the Hindi market over its first three days.
Akhanda 2 made with a budget of more than Rs 200 crore.
