Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday starrer Liger released in theatres on Thursday after a massive promotional campaign all across the country. Vijay’s Hindi debut was excessively hyped but if early reports of the film’s box office collection are any indication, the film has received negative reviews so far. As per reports, the initial respose has shocked producer Karan Johar and actor Vijay Deverakonda. The duo had expected a better opening but the word of the mouth publicity has shocked the entire team. The first-day occupancy of the shows have been low, which may show up in a worrisome opening.
Trade analyst Karan Taurani of Elara Capital in his interview told IANS, "The current response to 'Liger' is poor. We had earlier estimated that the film will open at Rs 30-35 crore in the South, but the response to the film in Telugu markets has been below par.Going by the trends, the anticipated lifetime collections of the film, too, have taken a beating from the earlier projected numbers. "The lifetime collections of the film were expected to be Rs 170-180 crore, out of which 25 per cent was to come from the Hindi market, but looking at the current trends, the film is likely to achieve a lifetime figure of Rs 55-60 crore," Taurani said.Vijay's blunt views and fearless attitude have also irked a few industry people. Manoj Desai, executive director of famous Maratha Mandir and Gaiety Galaxy, panned Vijay for his views and mocking the boycott culture. While speaking to a media portal, Desai shared his discontent with Vijay and stated, "Tumhe yeh charbi aa gayi hai... ki dekhna hai toh dekho warna na dekho. Toh Taapsee Paanu ki kya halat ho gayi, nahi dekhenge toh Aamir Khan ki kya halat ho gayi... Akshay Kumar ki kya halat ho gayi." Desai further added, "Chhodh do theatre, tum Tamil, Telugu ke OTT mein kam karo. Humari film ko boycott karo. Yeh hosiyaari kyu kar rahe ho?" Manoj further added that his thoughts have affected the advance booking of the film, and it affects the cinema sector as well." Desai further added, "Vijay... you are Anaconda, not Konda Konda."