Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur star in the recently released romantic action drama “Dacoit,” which hit theaters on April 10. Directed by Shaneil Deo, the film garnered mixed reviews but reportedly achieved the highest opening of Sesh’s career. Despite the varied critical response, “Dacoit” has shown resilience at the box office and has now outperformed Sesh’s previous film, “HIT: The Second Case.”
As per the trade website Sacnilk, “Dacoit” earned ₹86 lakhs net in India on its eighth day, bringing its domestic total to ₹29.47 crore. The film surpassed the lifetime collection of “HIT 2,” which was ₹25.92 crore, though it still lags behind “Major,” which earned ₹41.03 crore. Notably, “Dacoit,” filmed in both Telugu and Hindi, amassed ₹28.45 crore during its first week.
The film began strongly on its opening day with a collection of ₹6.55 crore, maintaining steady earnings through its initial weekend at ₹6.85 crore and ₹6.40 crore. However, the following week saw a decline, with collections dropping to ₹2.70 crore on Monday and ₹3 crore on Tuesday, showing some recovery. Wednesday and Thursday’s earnings waned further, with collections of ₹1.55 crore and ₹1.40 crore, respectively.
Anurag Kashyap, a prominent figure in Indian cinema, revealed his casting story for “Dacoit” during a recent promotional event. He disclosed that he was approached at the wedding of actors Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya. While attending the ceremony, he was taken aside to hear the script without being formally asked to join the project, leading to his commitment to begin filming the following month.
Kashyap expressed that he felt compelled to accept the role, as it provided him an opportunity to step away from his usual character archetypes, particularly the “crazy psychopath killer.” Known for his past collaborations with Sobhita Dhulipala, who debuted under his direction in “Raman Raghav 2.0,” Kashyap’s role in “Dacoit” marks his debut in the Telugu film industry after working in Tamil and Malayalam films.
As the second week approaches, the performance of “Dacoit” at the box office will be closely monitored to see if it can maintain its current momentum. The film’s commercial trajectory will depend on audience engagement and the competitive landscape of new releases.