Vijay’s “Leo” Faces Day 2 Box Office Decline After Stellar Opening 

Vijay’s latest action-thriller, “Leo,” stormed into theaters with an impressive opening, setting the box office on fire. However, the film seems to have encountered a significant drop in its collections on its second day. While the initial response was nothing short of thunderous, the early reports for Day 2 indicate a noticeable decline in earnings.On its debut day, “Leo” managed to amass a staggering global collection of Rs 148.5 crore, with an Indian box office figure of approximately Rs 64.80 crore. The film’s impressive start took the industry by storm, raising expectations for its future performance. However, the early reports for Day 2 suggest that the film’s earnings have dipped substantially.According to industry tracker Sacnilk, “Leo” earned around Rs 36 crore in India on its second day, a drop of nearly 50% from its opening day collections. The Tamil-speaking audience’s occupancy rate for this Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial stands at 66.85%. This sudden drop in collections could be attributed to negative word-of-mouth reviews circulating about the film.Film trade expert Manobala Vijayabalan noted that, in response to the negative feedback, “Leo” is facing a reduction in screen allocation outside of Tamil Nadu. He shared on social media, “Leo screens REDUCED from tomorrow outside Tamil Nadu. Shocking fact is, due to poor WoM, many Leo screens are getting allotted to other movies on Day 2 itself all over the world.”While “Leo” is expected to maintain its strong position in the southern market, it appears to face challenges in Hindi-speaking regions. Film trade analyst Ramesh Bala revealed that the film could only manage to earn Rs 2.75 crore in the Hindi market. To put this into perspective, Rajinikanth’s “2.0” continues to hold the title of the highest-earning Tamil film in the Hindi-speaking belt, with a collection of Rs 20.25 crore.

The decline in “Leo’s” box office fortunes on the second day comes on the heels of mixed reviews from critics. While Vijay’s performance received praise, the film was criticized for its writing and direction. Indianexpress.com’s Anandu Suresh, in his review, noted, “Although the film began on a powerful note, script-wise, it takes a significant downturn in the second half. Even though Lokesh managed to transliterate ‘A History of Violence’ without merely translating it, the film lacks a sense of originality, especially since the story is almost 18 years old, and the only freshness in it is the incorporation of a regional essence.”