Nani’s HIT 3 Opens to a Huge ₹18 Cr, Well Ahead of The Second Case
Nani’s HIT 3 has hit the ground running at the box office with an ₹18 crore opening, far ahead of the prequel’s day 1 numbers.
The third instalment of the HIT franchise — titled HIT: The Third Case — had an incredible opening at the box office. Written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the film earned ₹18 crore nett on its opening day in India, according to early estimates by industry tracker Sacnilk.
For context, the second film in the franchise, HIT: The Second Case, started out of the gate with just ₹6.4 crore. This puts HIT 3 nearly 3X the opening of the film’s predecessor.
This also marks Nani’s second-best opening day gross for a first run, only behind the blockbuster Dasara at ₹23.2 crore.
Occupancy Rates Show Massive Audience Interest
The film had an impressive average occupancy rate of 87.98% in Telugu-speaking regions, while its morning shows had an average occupancy of 79%, rising to 92% for afternoon shows and staying strong in evening shows (91%) and overnight shows (88%).
In stark contrast, the average occupancy rate for the prequel’s day 1 was only around 45%, and HIT 3 represents a significant gain in both hype and reach.
Audience Response: Nani Impresses and The Story Gets Mixed Reviews
Initial reviews are largely positive, with many considering Nani’s performance his best yet. The emotional final act, catchy visuals, and exciting moments deserve special mention.
However, not everyone has raved about it. One X (previously Twitter) user claimed:
“Nani’s performance was great; the final act was intense, story idea was good. But the investigation was traditional, emotions and BGM fell flat, and . Verdict: Decent thriller with select moments that work. Rating: 2.5/5.”
The Franchise Journey So Far & What’s Next for Nani
Director Sailesh Kolanu has delivered three “HIT” entries, and the Hindi-language remake of the original film has been led by Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra.
The new film features STELLAR performances from a loaded cast, including Srinidhi Shetty, Adivi Sesh, Rao Ramesh, Nivetha Thomas, and Brahmaji.
With mostly positive word of mouth and box office momentum, it will now be fascinating to observe how HIT 3 performs through its first weekend — and particularly how it performs vs Dasara‘s final total.
Meanwhile, fans are also following along to Nani’s upcoming film with SS Rajamouli, which appears to be inspired by the Mahabharata.
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