UI box office update: Upendra’s film records highest opening weekend for a Kannada film in 2024

The figures for Upendra’s new directorial UI’s box office collection in Karnataka vary slightly across different trackers, but they all indicate that the film’s had a grand opening.

Real Star Upendra’s return to direction after nearly a decade had intrigued Kannada audiences, who were keen to know what he’d bring to the table this time around. The filmmaker is, after all, renowned for cinema with hard-hitting socio-political messages, told in exaggerated fashion. The film, UI, released on December 20 and had audiences flocking to theatres, even though, reports soon starting coming in that it had divided viewers – some loved the messages and others thought it was too preachy and lacked entertainment value.

Also read: UI movie review: Upendra goes into preacher mode overdrive in film that falls short on entertainment

UI's first weekend box office performance in Karnataka

Nevertheless, the film’s good showing continued over the weekend with figures from multiple box office trackers indicating that it has registered the highest opening weekend collection for a Kannada film in 2024. UI’s first weekend gross is estimated in the range of Rs 18 cr to Rs 20 cr. One tracker goes as far as stating that the film crossed the Rs 20 cr mark at Rs 21 cr - Rs 23 cr in Karnataka alone, while that is a figure stated as the world-wide gross after the first weekend on another site. None of these figures have been officially validated by the team.

Also read: UI movie Day 1 Karnataka box office: Upendra film takes big opening; falls short of double-digit gross

After this stellar first weekend, though, UI saw a massive drop on Day 4, which was expected, given that it was a working day and that those on holiday could have headed out on vacations. The film, is, however holding strong, even though bookings for Kiccha Sudeep’s December 25 release Max have begun. In fact, the first weekend ticket sales on an aggregator platform are estimated to be around 426,000, which is also the highest for a Kannada film this year.

Trackers are yet to determine the break-even figure required for UI, given that the team has not officially revealed the film’s final budget. There are conflicting reports pegging it anywhere in the range of Rs 60 cr to Rs 100 cr. A first weekend gross of Rs 25 crore would have set the film on course to a safe zone, reckon trackers, but it has fallen marginally short of that.

UI’s performance in the next couple of weeks, as it clashes with Max is crucial, given that by the second week of January, the Sankranti/Pongal big-ticket movies will begin to release. This is also why KVN Productions, which is distributing UI in Karnataka got Rocking Star Yash and Kiccha Sudeep to attend a celebrity show and endorse the Upendra directorial.

Meanwhile, reports from the Telugu states indicate that UI has been doing well there, with screen counts increased over the weekend. Box office figures are yet to be revealed.

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