After a two-year hiatus, Kichcha Sudeep made a powerful return to the big screen with his action thriller Max. Released on Christmas 2024, the film has opened to rave reviews and delivered the highest first-day box office collection for a Kannada film this year, surpassing Pushpa 2: The Rule, UI, and other notable releases.
According to Sacnilk, Max earned ₹8.50 crore on its opening day, exceeding expectations and securing its place as the top Sandalwood opener of 2024. The film benefitted from the Christmas holiday and maintained strong occupancy throughout the day, even with stiff competition from big-ticket films like Pushpa 2 and UI.
Top 10 Kannada Openers of 2024:
1. Max: ₹8.5 crore
2. UI: ₹6.25 crore
3. Martin: ₹5.97 crore
4. Bheema: ₹3.95 crore
5.Bagheera: ₹2.55 crore
6. Bhairathi Ranagal: ₹2.3 crore
7. Yuva: ₹2.1 crore
8. Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi: ₹1.5 crore
9. Pushpa 2: The Rule: ₹1 crore
10.Upadhyaksha: ₹0.65 crore
While Pushpa 2 continues to dominate Indian box offices with ₹7.48 crore in 20 days, Max has outshone it in the Kannada market with its exceptional first-day numbers.
However, a direct comparison may not be entirely fair as Max is a purely Kannada film, whereas Pushpa 2 is a Telugu film dubbed in multiple languages. Regardless, Kichcha Sudeep’s Max has made an incredible start, reaffirming his star power and delighting fans with a cinematic treat worth the wait.