Jr NTR's 'Devara Part 1' earns Rs 350 cr worldwide but underperforms in Hindi

Devara: Part 1

NTR Junior's Devara: Part 1 was anticipated for many reasons - it marked the actor's first release since RRR (2022). Not just that, it was coming only months after the runaway success of another South offering, Kalki: 2898 AD. However, director Koratala Siva's Telugu actioner hasn't exactly set the screen ablaze in the Hindi territories. The six-day gross collection of the Hindi version stands at approximately R65 crore. That is barely a patch on its worldwide gross collection of over R350 crore.

Jr NTR's 'Devara Part 1' underperforms in Hindi

Why has the Hindi version been unable to replicate its South success, despite featuring Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor? Trade expert and distributor Amod Mehra points out, "The film is not the kind that would appeal across India. NTR Junior is not a big star in Hindi, neither is Saif. Whatever business Devara has done, is in the south only. I can safely say that the money given on advance by AA Films will not be recovered."

Producer-distributor defends Devara Part 1 Hindi box-office numbers

Producer-distributor NR Pachisia, who also has theatres in Hyderabad, believes the Hindi numbers are not bad. "Devara is NTR Jr's first [solo] pan-India film. You can't compare its Hindi numbers with that of Telugu. Or even with RRR, as that was an SS Rajamouli film." He adds that the actor has a long way to go in the Hindi territories. "NTR Jr's next Hindi film will be War 2."

One could argue that Kalki: 2898 AD outperformed Devara in its first-week Hindi collections. Trade analyst Shaaminder Malik reasons, "Cinegoers want story, emotion and action. Devara doesn't score great on these aspects. It's better than Salaar: Part One - Ceasefire and Kalki, but they fared much better commercially."