Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jun 10: Ram Charan-starrer Peddi has crossed the Rs 260-crore mark at the worldwide box office, but the sports drama has witnessed a significant slowdown in collections after a strong opening weekend.
Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, the pan-India film opened to impressive numbers, collecting Rs 69 crore net in India on its first day and crossing Rs 100 crore gross globally. The film went on to earn Rs 137 crore net in India during its opening weekend.
However, collections have declined steadily since then. After witnessing a drop of more than 65 per cent on Monday, the film's earnings fell further on Tuesday, with collections reportedly slipping to Rs 9.65 crore net for the day.
After six days in theatres, Peddi has collected approximately Rs 179.35 crore net and Rs 213 crore gross in India. Its worldwide gross collection now stands at around Rs 261 crore.
The film's box office performance has been heavily dependent on the Telugu market, which accounts for nearly 95 per cent of its earnings.
Despite being released across India, the film has struggled to attract audiences in other languages. The Hindi version, released on more than 1,000 screens, has reportedly earned just over Rs 10 crore in six days.
Industry observers had expected stronger numbers in North India given Ram Charan's popularity following RRR, along with the presence of Janhvi Kapoor, Divyenndu and Boman Irani in the cast.
Overseas collections have also slowed considerably, with the film reportedly earning around $100,000 per day in recent days. Its international earnings have crossed the $5 million mark.
The film has also faced criticism on social media over the portrayal of female lead Janhvi Kapoor.
Several viewers accused the makers of reducing her role to a decorative presence and objecting to the manner in which certain scenes were filmed.
Following the backlash, director Buchi Babu Sana reportedly apologised and said changes would be made to the scenes that drew criticism.
Despite the slowdown, Peddi remains on course to cross the Rs 300-crore worldwide gross mark.
The film was initially expected to surpass the lifetime collections of several recent Telugu releases much sooner, but the decline in momentum has delayed the milestone.
Trade analysts believe that if current trends continue, Peddi could cross the Rs 300-crore mark by the end of the week, although its long-term box office prospects will depend on its ability to sustain collections in the coming days.