'Beast' day 1 box office collection: Vijay-starrer opens to a good response

'Beast' revolves around what happens when a 'soldier' finds himself in the middle of an attack on a mall

Actor Vijay's latest movie Beast, which hit the screens on April 13, has opened to a good response at the box office despite mixed reviews. The film collected nearly Rs 26 crore in Tamil Nadu on the first day, according to trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan. It is Vijay's second best opener after Sarkar, which raked in Rs 30 crore+ when it hit the screens in 2018.

Beast fared reasonably well in Chennai, collecting Rs 1.96 crore on day 1. It outperformed Ajith's Valimai to emerge as the best opener in this particular market after the pandemic. The flick recorded nearly 90 per cent occupancy in most centres in the morning. It stayed strong in the afternoon. The movie performed pretty well in the evening as Vijay fans flocked to theatres to watch their favourite star set the screens on fire.

Also read | 'Beast' review: The roar is missing

Beast, however, failed to impress critics with many of them describing it as a mediocre attempt at storytelling that worked only because of the mass hero's star power. The word of mouth was mixed to negative, which is likely to affect the film's prospects once the initial hype dies down. Beast, either way, is set to face stiff competition from KGF Chapter 2, starring Yash, which hit the screens on Thursday. Prashanth Neel's magnum opus enjoys a dedicated fan following in the state mainly because of the phenomenal response to the first part. Beast's second day collection is likely to lower than what it made on Thursday.

Beast, directed by Nelson of Kolamaavu Kokila and Doctor fame, is an action-thriller that revolves around what happens when Vijay's character finds himself in the middle of an attack on a mall. As the story progresses, one realises that he is not someone you would want to mess with. The movie stars Pooja Hegde, last seen opposite Prabhas in Radhe Shyam, as the female protagonist and marks her first collaboration with 'Thalapathy'. The cast includes Yogi Babu, director Selvaraghavan, and Shine Tom Chacko.