Akshay Kumar's 'Kesari 2' sees encouraging start on Good Friday, weekend trend crucial

Akshay Kumar and R Madhavan's much-anticipated film 'Kesari Chapter 2' opened in cinemas today, April 18, 2025, and has registered a decent start at the box office. Early estimates suggest that the film may end up collecting between Rs 7 to 8 crore on its first day, with a major portion of the earnings coming from advance bookings and spot sales boosted by positive word-of-mouth.

The film, which narrates the story of C. Sankaran Nair and his courageous legal battle against the British Empire post the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, is not positioned as a typical mass entertainer like 'Sikandar'. Hence, industry watchers were not expecting massive opening numbers. However, advances had looked encouraging, with the film earning approximately Rs 3 crore even before release.

By Friday afternoon, 'Kesari Chapter 2' had already collected around Rs 1.59 crore through spot bookings, suggesting that evening and night shows could perform better. The partial holiday on account of Good Friday in several regions is expected to boost footfalls, particularly in multiplexes across cities like Mumbai and Delhi.

Industry analysts pointed out that the Punjab circuit would play a significant role in the film’s collections, given the strong regional relevance of the story. Compared to some of Akshay Kumar’s recent underperformers, 'Kesari 2' is off to a relatively better start, indicating that early positive reviews on social media could help the film sustain through the weekend.

Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, 'Kesari Chapter 2' shifts focus from the battlefield to the courtroom, chronicling a pivotal real-life legal fight that challenged colonial power. Alongside Akshay Kumar and R Madhavan, the film features Ananya Panday in a key role and is based on the acclaimed book 'The Case That Shook the Empire' by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat.

As the weekend unfolds, the film’s trajectory will heavily depend on audience reactions and sustained positive buzz. Early trends suggest steady growth, but competition and niche appeal will be deciding factors for its long-term success at the box office.