Rajinikanth’s Kaala earns Rs 112.2 cr in first weekend

Every Rajinikanth film comes with a set of expectations attached to it; stratospheric high box office numbers being one part of it. Kaala’s first weekend box office numbers are out now and so is trade’s analysis – the Pa Ranjith film has grossed Rs 112.2 crore worldwide in the first weekend and by Rajinikanth’s standards, it is mediocre at best.

Kaala received mixed reviews but it didn’t deter die-hard fans of Rajini who still attended shows of the film in droves. According to website AndhraBoxOffice, the film had an outstanding weekend run in Chennai with Rs 6.64 crore but didn’t fare very well in the southern part of the state. The film’s weekend collection in Tamil Nadu stands at Rs 44.8 crore with Andhra Pradesh and Nizam region collection amounting to Rs 11 crore. The film suffered in Karnataka because of the protests on the first day, and has earned Rs 8.3 crore and Rs 4 crore collection came in from Kerala. The rest of India has contributed Rs 4.6 crore in terms of box office collections.

Kaala is also having a good run at the US box office. The film has grossed $1.6 million (Rs 11 crore) over the weekend, including the Wednesday premiere shows. After adding the other locations where the film released -- UK, UAE, Australia, New Zealand and more - Kaala has collected Rs 39.5 crore in the international market. The reason for this mediocre start is believed to be the muted buzz before the release of the film, and also the protests that took place in Karnataka. While it has been observed that the superstar has got the audience back in the theaters, the momentum has to be sustained through the next weekend. The film has to stay ahead of Eid releases such as Salman Khan’s Race 3 to be profitable. In the film, Rajinikanth plays the role of Kaala Aka Karikaalan, the man who protects his neighbourhood in Mumbai. Easwari Rao played the role of his wife and Huma Qureshi is cast as his first love.