Akshay Kumar-starrer ”Sooryavanshi” has opened in cinemas countrywide with a bang as it amassed a whopping Rs 26.29 crores on the first day of its release.

The film, which opened in theatres on Friday after being delayed numerous times due to the coronavirus pandemic, was met with a thunderous response from the audience that lined up outside the theatres in various parts of the country.

Reliance Entertainment, which backed the film, said the movie is doing strong business at the box office despite curtailed occupancy in various parts of the country.

”Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi shatters the box office despite curtailed occupancy of 50 percent in large parts of the country on day one. Collects Rs 26.29 crore nationally,” a press note from the banner stated.

Several states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, resumed operations in cinema halls from July-August onwards.

However, theatres in Maharashtra, a key market for the Hindi film industry, reopened with a 50 per cent capacity in October.

Additionally, Reliance Entertainment revealed the film earned Rs 8.10 crore from overseas markets.

”The response has been outstanding but due to state limitation the business was affected (a bit) in places Maharashtra, MP, Bihar and Haryana because of 50 percent occupancy otherwise the number would have been Rs 34 crore in domestic market,” Reliance Entertainment Group CEO Shibasish Sarkar told PTI. ”Besides, close to 1000 odd screens have shut down in COVID-19 times and so these are the things that have impacted. But in spite of that, it has been an outstanding number. It has overshadowed our expectations,” he added. The film’s box office response indicates that the audiences are back in cinemas and it is a moment of celebration, Sarkar said.

”We are hoping the film will earn over Rs 75-85 crore in the domestic market over a period of three days,” he added.

Directed by Rohit Shetty, ”Sooryavanshi” was originally scheduled to arrive in cinema halls on March 24, 2020, but was delayed after theatres were shut in the wake of the pandemic.

After yet another delay, the makers had planned to release it on April 30 this year, but the second wave of COVID-19 further pushed their plans.

On September 25, Shetty announced the worldwide release of ”Sooryavanshi” in theatres on Diwali, soon after the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared the reopening of cinema halls in the state from October 22 ”Sooryavanshi” is the fourth film in Shetty’s cop universe, which also features extended cameo of Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh – who have played police officers in the director’s previous movies “Singham” franchise and “Simmba” respectively.

Also starring Katrina Kaif, the movie is presented by Reliance Entertainment and produced by Rohit Shetty Picturez in association with Dharma Productions and Cape of Good Films.

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