Custody Box Office Day 3 Collection: Naga Chaitanya film earns less than Rs 9 cr in opening weekend

Actor Naga Chaitanya’s latest release Custody, which was released simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu, registered a disastrous opening at the box-office as it collected less than what it should have. 9 crores in its opening weekend, according to trade sources. Chaitanya plays a police constable in the film directed by Venkat Prabhu. Read also: Custody Movie Review: Naga Chaitanya’s action thriller has too many subplots, needs a lot to make an impact

Released amidst high anticipation, Custody failed to make a mark at the box-office and crashed in its opening weekend itself. Trade analyst Trinath confirms that the film has grossed approx. 8.6 crores in its opening weekend.

“The film had a disastrous opening at the box-office. In the first weekend, the film only 8.6 crores and its fate is already sealed. Even if released amidst much anticipation, it would prove to be a dud for Naga Chaitanya,” said Trinath.

The project marked Chaitanya’s entry into the Tamil industry. He dubbed his own lines in Tamil for the first time. At a press conference before the release, Chaitanya said that he was excited to play the role of a constable, a role rarely seen in mainstream cinema.

“It is a role that has not been explored much in recent times. The constables are fresh out of training and have the will to make a difference. The future is in their hands,” he said.

Custody also marked the Telugu debut of director Venkat Prabhu. On the decision to make the film bilingual, he said in a press conference: “I have always tried to make films in different genres within the commercial template. When I got the opportunity to pitch the idea to Chai (Naga Chaitanya), There was no brainer in making it bilingual. Chai was waiting for the right project to launch in Tamil and I was also looking for an opportunity to enter the Telugu market. It felt like the perfect film.

Each scene in the film was shot twice. “We have shot it as a proper bilingual film. We literally shot every scene twice in two languages. I enjoyed the process as Chai knows Tamil very well. So, I didn’t have to struggle much and I could get what I really wanted.”

OTT: 10