Ram Pothineni and Puri Jagannadh's Double iSmart sequel surpasses Rs 10 crore at the box office on third day
The much anticipated sequel to the 2018 hit iSmart Shankar, Double iSmart, directed by Puri Jagannadh and starring Ram Pothineni saw a strong opening collection of Rs. 7.35 crore on its first day. However, the film saw a steep drop in its collections on the second day, earning only Rs. 1.5 crore. According to trade reports, the third day collection of Double iSmart was approximately Rs. 1.25 crore, taking its total box office collection so far to Rs. 10.10 crore.
While mixed critical reviews may have contributed to the significant decline in collections, industry insiders note that heavy competition from other big releases during the Independence Day long weekend also impacted Double iSmart's box office performance. Films such as Mr. Bachchan, Vedaa, Stree 2, Thangalaan, Raghu Thatha, and Demonte Colony 2 were also vying for audience attention over this crowded weekend period.
Occupancy rates for Double iSmart plunged to around 19.49% on the first Saturday, reflecting weak word-of-mouth and demand for the film. This is surprising given the massive popularity of the first part as well as the market draw of the lead pair and director. Meanwhile, action-thriller Thangalaan starring Vikram has been holding its own against the competition, earning close to Rs. 24 crore in three days.
Double iSmart, which also features Kavya Thapar and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles, is a sci-fi action film produced by Puri Jagannadh and Charmme Kaur under the banner Puri Connects. With music composed by Mani Sharma and cinematography by Shyam K Naidu and Gianni Giannelli, it will be interesting to see if the Ram Pothineni starrer can pick up momentum in the coming days.
