Prabhas‘ 2010 romantic comedy Darling re-release provided much-needed relief to exhibitors this weekend, collecting close to ₹8 Cr gross worldwide in its opening weekend. The film showed strong performance in India while falling short of expectations in overseas markets.
The re-release comes at a time when exhibitors have been struggling with limited content flow, making Darling‘s solid weekend collections a welcome relief for theater owners.
Weekend Performance Overview
The film’s weekend performance showed a clear divide between domestic and international markets:
| Territory | Gross Collection | Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | ₹8 Cr | – |
| Overseas | $50K | $150K+ |
There were strong expectations that Darling would easily cross the $150K mark overseas and set a new record for re-releases (non-Baahubali category). However, the film managed only around $50K gross in international circuits, falling significantly short of trade estimates.
India Footfalls and BookMyShow Record
In stark contrast to overseas markets, Darling performed very well across India with excellent footfalls throughout the weekend. The film recorded the highest number of tickets sold for any re-release on BookMyShow (BMS), surpassing all previous re-release benchmarks on the platform.
This BookMyShow achievement is particularly significant as it reflects genuine audience interest and repeat viewership, rather than inflated numbers. The strong footfalls in Telugu-speaking states indicate the nostalgic connect audiences still have with the film.
Overall, these are very strong numbers for a re-release, making Darling a mega blockbuster in the re-release segment. The steady performance throughout the weekend suggests positive word-of-mouth and validates the decision to bring back the film in 4K format.
Darling, directed by Karunakaran and starring Prabhas and Kajal Aggarwal, originally released in 2010 as a romantic comedy and emerged as a commercial success. The 4K re-release capitalizes on Prabhas‘ current pan-Indian stardom.
