Kesari Chapter 2, featuring Akshay Kumar, recorded an unprecedented jump in box office collections on its second Saturday, growing by around 73% to collect about Rs 7 crore, taking its total to about Rs 57 crore in nine days.
The jump is thanks mainly to a tactical BOGO (Buy One Get One free) promotion launched on the previous Friday, which increased footfalls and created good word-of-mouth.
Though the opening week box office collection of the film was Rs 45.45 crore, the second weekend’s robust performance suggests a stronger hold than recent Akshay Kumar movies, especially in urban multiplexes where it has found limited but increasing appreciation.
Though the spurt is big, the net 10-day total of approx. Rs 65 crore overall is modest and shows the niche nature of the film as a historical courtroom drama with an A-certificate that necessarily restricts mass audience acceptance.
The trend of the film’s box office suggests it would hold decent business but not attain blockbuster levels. The success of Kesari 2 is important in the context of Akshay Kumar’s recent efforts, demonstrating that content-driven cinema with good performances and intelligent marketing can still carve out commercial relevance in a competitive market.
Nonetheless, the movie has impending competition from the likes of Raid 2, which could impact its long-term run at the box office. Kesari 2’s second Saturday boom is otherwise a noteworthy but restrained success as opposed to a breakthrough blockbuster.
