Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya’s romantic drama EPIC has delivered a disastrous box office performance, falling far short of pre-release expectations. The film’s first weekend collections paint a grim picture for the theatrical run.
Pre-Release Expectations and Context
Directed by Aditya Haasan of #90s fame, EPIC – First Semester hit theaters on September 11, 2026, with paid premieres on September 10. The romantic drama follows a student sent to London for higher studies, where he navigates complex love and identity crises during his first semester.
There were decent expectations for the film’s box office prospects. With Anand Deverakonda building his career trajectory and the pairing with Vaishnavi Chaitanya generating buzz, trade circles anticipated the film would pull in notable opening weekend numbers. However, audience rejection started from the paid premieres itself, setting an ominous tone for the theatrical run.
First Weekend Box Office Collections
The romantic drama failed to cross even double-digit gross in its opening weekend — a disastrous outcome that caught many by surprise. Here’s the complete breakdown:
| Territory | First Weekend Gross |
|---|---|
| All India Tracked | ₹4.8 Cr |
| Worldwide (Estimated) | ₹7.5 Cr |
These numbers represent an outright rejection from moviegoers. The All India tracked gross of just ₹4.8 Cr and a worldwide estimate of around ₹7.5 Cr are catastrophic for any theatrical release with commercial expectations.
What Led to the Disaster?
The film received outright rejection from paid premieres, which typically serve as the first litmus test for commercial viability. Despite trade circles hoping for some recovery during the opening weekend, EPIC turned down all expectations.
With a runtime of 2 hours 29 minutes and an A certification, the film faced an uphill battle. The longer runtime and adult certification may have limited the audience base, but the core issue appears to be audience reception of the content itself.
This is a disastrous number by any measure — one that no one in the trade anticipated despite the softer-than-expected premiere response. The first weekend performance suggests extremely limited legs for the theatrical run, making recovery virtually impossible.
