Actor Pawan Kalyan's latest movie Vakeel Saab, which hit the screens on Friday (April 9), has opened to a thunderous response at the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana box office despite the Covid-19 situation. The film's collected a share of Rs 32.2 crore on day 1, outperforming the mass hero's previous release Agnyaathavaasi, which collected nearly Rs 26 crore.
It matched the box office performance of Sarileru Neekevvaru, which released in theatres last Sankranti. The Mahesh Babu-starrer had raked in Rs 32 crore while receiving mixed reviews. It, however, was not able to reach its potential in the long run as it faced competition from Allu Arjun's Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo.
Also read: 'Vakeel Saab' preview: 5 reason's to look forward to the Pawan Kalyan-starrer
Vakeel Saab is a remake of the Bollywood hit Pink and revolves around the importance of consent. It features PK in the role of a criminal lawyer and is his first release in nearly three years. The film has mass elements, which were absent in the original version. The cast includes Anjali, Nivetha Thomas, Shruti Haasan and Prakash Raj.
Vakeel Saab has received rave reviews with most critics praising the strong message and the Power Star's screen presence. The courtroom scenes have garnered a fair deal of attention. The word of mouth is positive, which should work in the film's favour in the coming days. It is unlikely to face much competition in the Telugu states as the week's Hollywood release The Mauritanian is meant for a niche audience.
With Vakeel Saab in theatres, Pawan Kalyan is set to turn his attention to Hari Hara Veera Mallu that is being directed by Krish. It is a period drama and revolves around the adventures of an outlaw. He also has the Telugu remake of the Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum in his kitty. The film stars Rana Daggubati as the parallel lead and is expected to be a departure from PK's previous films.