The Devil Box Office Collection Day 1: Strong Response In Bengaluru, Weak In Mangaluru

Darshan's much-anticipated film The Devil has taken a good opening at the box office, overcoming both its weekday release disadvantage and the controversy surrounding the actor's incarceration.

Despite Darshan being in jail in connection with the Renuka Swamy murder case, fans ensured a loud and visible turnout, with theatres seeing strong footfalls from the very first shows on Thursday.

The Kannada film opened to mixed reviews, but the occupancy figures tell a more positive story. The movie managed to draw audiences across key centres, especially in Karnataka, where the star commands his biggest following.

Steady Rise Through the Day

The film began its run with a healthy 60.44% occupancy in morning shows, which is notable for a working Thursday. Afternoon numbers dipped slightly to 51.74%, but the momentum picked up again in the evening and peaked at night. The evening occupancy rose to 63.47%, while night shows recorded the day's highest at 79.34%, indicating strong walk-in crowds and positive word-of-mouth from Darshan's core fanbase, as per the Sacnilk data.

Bengaluru Leads in Volume; Mysuru and Tumakuru Show the Best Response

Bengaluru, the biggest market for Kannada cinema, registered an overall occupancy of 64% across 901 shows. Morning occupancy stood at 60%, dipped in the afternoon to 49%, and climbed steadily to hit 82% at night. While Bengaluru contributed the highest number of shows, the standout performance came from Tier-2 cities.

Mysuru emerged as the top-performing centre with a staggering 88.75% overall occupancy across 102 shows. In fact, night shows in Mysuru touched an impressive 95%, indicating near-packed houses throughout the day.

Close on Mysuru's heels was Tumakuru, which posted the day's highest occupancy among all centres-97.75% overall. With all four show slots averaging between 96% and 99%, Tumakuru displayed extraordinary fan turnout, making it one of The Devil's strongest markets.

Shivamogga also delivered a strong start with 81.75% overall occupancy, backed by a consistent rise toward night shows, which hit 91%.

Mixed Results in Coastal and North Karnataka

While some regions soared, a few markets delivered only modest numbers. Mangaluru recorded just 23% overall occupancy, reflecting a weaker response compared to other districts. Manipal too remained on the lower side with 28.75%.

North Karnataka showed mixed traction. Kalaburagi clocked 47%, and Belagavi posted 48.5%, both moderate but expected to improve over the weekend. Raichur, however, performed strongly with 66.5% overall, driven by a solid 75% occupancy in evening shows.

Outside Karnataka: Conservative Yet Encouraging

In Mumbai, The Devil saw 48.5% overall occupancy, mostly powered by evening and night shows. Hyderabad, which hosted five shows, reported 60% overall with a notable late-evening surge to 71%.

Outlook

With night shows performing exceptionally well across major centres, The Devil has positioned itself for a promising opening weekend. If the upward evening-to-night trajectory holds through Friday and Saturday, the film is likely to register a strong first-weekend total, driven primarily by the loyalty of Darshan's fanbase and the buzz surrounding the film.