Actor Chiranjeevi’s latest Telugu release GodFather, a remake of Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam blockbuster Lucifer, has registered a solid opening with first-day gross earnings of ₹ 38 crore worldwide, as per the makers. Trade sources have said this is the best opening for a Chiranjeevi-starrer in recent years since his comeback a few years ago.
Industry tracker Ramesh Bala took to Twitter to announce that the film had grossed ₹ 38 crore on the first day. An official tweet from the makers Konidela Productions also confirmed that the film grossed Rs. 38 crore on its opening day.
GodFather clashed with Nagarjuna’s The Ghost at the box office but had already outperformed the film by an extremely huge margin in advance bookings. Directed by Mohan Raja, Godfather is a political action drama that also stars Salman Khan in an extended cameo. It also features Nayanthara, Satyadev, and Murali Sharma among others in key roles. Chiranjeevi said at a pre-release event for the film that he wasn’t satisfied with Lucifer and Mohan Raja had to make changes to upgrade the Telugu version.
“Despite watching it many times, I wasn’t completely satisfied with Lucifer. It is after some changes that Raja brought to the screenplay, I was satisfied and it gave me the confidence to do the film. The film will engage without any dull moments. It will definitely satisfy you all,” Chiranjeevi said. His comments also upset Mohanlal’s fans who feel the original should be respected.
While GodFather has registered a good opening, Chiranjeevi’s last release Acharya had bombed at the box office. The movie, which starred him as a middle-aged Naxalite-turned-social reformer, also marked the first time he was seen alongside his son Ram Charan in full-length roles but failed to impress critics and the audience. On the contrary, GodFather is earning Chiranjeevi rave reviews.
As per the Hindustan Times review of the film, “GodFather works only when Chiranjeevi is on screen. Although the director’s choice to give him a grand entry ‘every’ time he walks into the frame gets old pretty fast, the veteran actor more than holds his own. He carries the film on his back, lending his stardom and screen presence to otherwise loose scenes and salvaging them.”