The Devil 1st Day Box Office Collection: Darshan-Starrer Gets Flying Start

Darshan's much-awaited film The Devil finally hit theatres on Thursday, opening to massive expectations across Karnataka. What makes the film's box office debut particularly remarkable is that it arrived without any promotional activity from the lead actor, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the Renuka Swamy murder case.

Despite the controversy and absence of publicity tours, fans turned out in huge numbers, giving the film a solid opening day in its home state.

Across Karnataka, theatres allocated the majority of their screens to The Devil, signalling strong confidence in the film's commercial potential. The excitement was evident from the early hours of release day, with more than 150 special shows organised to cater to the surging demand. Many cinema halls reported long queues and packed houses for the morning shows, especially in major centres like Bengaluru, Mysuru and Tumakuru.

According to early estimates, The Devil registered an overall 56.09% occupancy for its morning and afternoon shows across the Kannada-speaking regions. The morning shows fared better with 60.44% occupancy, while the afternoon shows dipped slightly to 51.74% as the initial rush settled, as per the Sacnilk data.

A deeper look into the region-wise data shows sharp variations across different centres:

• Bengaluru, which had a massive 899 shows on opening day, recorded a decent 54.5% overall occupancy, with morning shows touching 60%. Though the afternoon slowed to 49%, the city's numbers remain strong considering the high show count.
• Mysuru emerged as the best-performing region, clocking an impressive 84% overall occupancy, with 86% in the morning and 82% in the afternoon. The city clearly stood out as the strongest market for the film on Day 1.
• Tumakuru, despite having just 19 shows, posted a phenomenal 98% occupancy for both morning and afternoon screenings, indicating a huge surge of fan support.
• Shivamogga followed closely with 77.5% overall occupancy, strengthening the film's hold in interior Karnataka.
• In contrast, Mangaluru recorded a weak 19% occupancy, while Manipal also saw a modest 22%. Coastal Karnataka traditionally reacts differently to big-star Kannada releases, and The Devil appears to be continuing the trend.
• Hubballi (58%), Kalaburagi (49%), Belagavi (40%), Raichur (61%), and Kundapura (38.5%) posted mixed numbers, with some centres performing above expectations and others showing moderate turnout.

Outside Karnataka, the film saw negligible occupancy in Mumbai and Hyderabad, with shows running at zero or near-zero occupancy. This is expected, as the film's primary market remains within Karnataka, and out-of-state demand for Kannada releases tends to be low unless supported by wider buzz.

Despite the overall decent occupancy, The Devil opened to mixed reviews from fans and early viewers. While Darshan's dual role and action sequences were appreciated, some viewers felt the film lacked strong emotional depth or fresh storytelling. Social media reactions ranged from praise for Darshan's performance to criticism of the screenplay and pacing.

However, controversy has historically never dimmed Darshan's box office pull. With a massive fan base-especially in Bengaluru-Mysuru belt and northern Karnataka-the film is expected to continue drawing crowds over the weekend. The strong opening suggests that The Devil could register a healthy first-day gross in Karnataka, aided by the high number of shows and strong turnout in its core centres.

The coming days will be crucial in determining whether The Devil can sustain its momentum amid mixed word-of-mouth. The weekend and holiday periods will give a clearer indication of the film's long-term box-office prospects, but for now, Darshan's popularity has ensured a solid Day 1 opening, even in the absence of promotional activities and amid ongoing legal troubles.