The much-anticipated pan-Indian release starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, titled 'Vrusshabha', has turned out to be a major box office disappointment. The film, which opened over the Christmas weekend, failed to attract audiences and posted alarmingly low collections, putting it on a clear path to being declared a commercial failure.
Disastrous Box Office Numbers
According to trade estimates compiled by analyst Sacnilk, the film's financial performance has been dismal from the start. 'Vrusshabha' opened with a collection of approximately Rs 60 lakh on its first day. However, instead of growing, the numbers witnessed a steep decline. The second day saw earnings drop to Rs 32 lakh, followed by a further fall to Rs 23 lakh on Saturday.
The fourth day, which was a Sunday, proved to be the weakest. Early estimates indicate the film managed to scrape together only about Rs 13 lakh nationwide. A detailed breakdown shows the Telugu version earned an estimated Rs 10 lakh on Sunday, while the Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada dubbed versions contributed a meager Rs 1 lakh each.
This brings the total India net collection for the four-day opening weekend to a paltry Rs 1.28 crore. The film earned an additional Rs 1.75 crore from overseas markets, taking the worldwide total to just over Rs 3 crore. Given its scale and star power, these numbers are shockingly low, and trade circles indicate the film will be labeled a 'flop' unless a miraculous turnaround occurs in the coming week.
Cast, Crew, and Audience Backlash
Directed by Nanda Kishore, 'Vrusshabha' features an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Ragini Dwivedi, Nayan Sarika, Mohammad Ajum Ali, Ramachandra Raju, and Neha Saxena in pivotal roles. Despite the star power, the film has failed to connect with viewers.
Social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), have been flooded with mixed to negative reviews. While many users acknowledged and appreciated Mohanlal's performance, they heavily criticized other aspects of the film.
The primary points of criticism have been the subpar Visual Effects (VFX), a weak screenplay, unimpressive Background Music (BGM), and overall poor execution. One user's lengthy critique summed up the general sentiment, stating the film starts with a slightly interesting scene but quickly becomes dull and fails to engage. The user noted the absence of an emotional connection, which nullified the impact of Mohanlal's acting, and called the climax weak and unsatisfying. The final verdict from many is that the film is poorly written, poorly made, and ultimately boring.
What This Means for the Film's Future
The disastrous opening weekend has severely limited the film's prospects. With such low collections, it has virtually no chance to recover its substantial production and marketing costs. The Christmas and New Year period is considered a lucrative window for film releases, and 'Vrusshabha's' inability to capitalize on this holiday season underscores its rejection by the audience.
The performance also raises questions about the strategy of pan-Indian releases, which require universal appeal and high-quality production to succeed across diverse linguistic markets. Unless collections see an unprecedented spike on weekdays, which is highly unlikely given the negative word-of-mouth, 'Vrusshabha' is headed for a swift exit from theatres.
