Ram Pothineni’s latest film, Double iSmart, made a daring move by releasing on Independence Day alongside seven other major films. This decision appears to have paid off, as the sci-fi action thriller has secured a spot. Among the top five biggest Tollywood openers of 2024. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film marks the Tollywood debut of Sanjay Dutt. It has made a notable impact with its opening collection.
Double iSmart Box Office Day 1
On its opening day, Double iSmart earned approximately ₹7.35 crore at the Indian box office. Making it one of the biggest Telugu film openings of the year. The film also performed well overseas, collecting ₹2 crore, which brings the total worldwide collection to ₹10.35 crore. Despite this strong start, Double iSmart did not surpass the opening earnings of its predecessor, iSmart Shankar, which had a more substantial debut. The opening performance of the sequel is seen as a positive outcome given the competitive Independence Day release period, and the positive word of mouth is expected to boost its weekend performance.
Comparison with iSmart Shankar
While Double iSmart opened with ₹7.35 crore, the original film iSmart Shankar had a much higher opening day collection of ₹12.70 crore. The sequel’s earnings were about 40% lower than the first film, despite the inclusion of Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist, which was anticipated to draw significant attention. The drop in the sequel’s opening numbers may be attributed to the intense competition on Independence Day, but the film’s decent reception suggests that it could still perform well throughout the weekend.
Impact on Tollywood Openers
Despite its lower opening compared to its predecessor. Double iSmart has successfully pushed Ravi Teja’s Eagle out of the top five biggest Tollywood openers of 2024. This achievement is noteworthy as it reflects the film’s strong performance and the continuing prominence of Ram Pothineni in Tollywood cinema. Interestingly, Kavya Thapar stars in both Double iSmart and Eagle, maintaining her presence in the competitive landscape of Telugu cinema.