Kannappa faces uphill battle despite strong first weekend

Vishnu Manchu’s ambitious mythological epic “Kannappa” has made a notable splash at the box office, grossing approximately Rs 30 crore worldwide in its opening weekend. However, despite the promising start, the film is projected to face significant financial challenges, with industry analysts estimating it needs an additional Rs 50 crore to reach its break-even point, given its reported Rs 100 crore plus budget.

First weekend Box Office report

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Kannappa collected Rs 23.75 crore net in India over its first three days, with a worldwide gross of around Rs 30 crore, including Rs 3.6 crore from overseas markets. The film, released on June 27, 2025, in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and English, saw its strongest performance in Telugu-speaking regions, driven by high-profile cameos from Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, and Mohanlal, alongside Vishnu Manchu’s lead role.

Tamil and Hindi versions showed moderate traction, with Chennai and Delhi recording the highest show counts. Kannada and Malayalam markets underperformed, limiting the film’s pan-India appeal.

The star power of Prabhas (as Rudra), Akshay Kumar (as Lord Shiva), and Mohanlal (as Kirata), along with Kajal Aggarwal and Mohan Babu, significantly boosted its appeal, particularly in Telugu regions.

Financial outlook

With a reported budget of Rs 100 to 150 crore, “Kannappa needs to gross approximately Rs150 crore worldwide to break even, translating to a distributor share of Rs 90 crore. The current Rs 30 crore gross after three days, while a personal best for Vishnu, falls short of expectations for a project of this scale. Industry insiders estimate that the film must collect an additional Rs 50 crore in the coming weeks to cover its costs, a challenging target given the lack of significant growth on Saturday.

The film’s high budget, coupled with mixed critical reception, poses a risk of substantial losses unless it maintains steady collections through the first week.

“Kannappa” has delivered a career-defining opening for Vishnu Manchu, but its journey to profitability remains daunting.