Despite Khaleja’s re-release impacting North America, the film’s gripping rural thriller plot captivates. Discover detailed Day 3 insights and what’s next—read now!
In a Nutshell
• Bhairavam Day 3 box office collection
• Performance of Bhairavam’s cast
• Effect of Khaleja in North America
• What’s ahead for Bhairavam
• Conclusion
The Telugu film industry welcomed the release of Bhairavam, a village action suspense thriller, on May 30, 2025. Directed by Vijay Kanakamedala and featuring a fine cast of Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, Nara Rohith, Manchu Manoj, Aditi Shankar, Divya Pillai, and Vennela Kishore, the movie has been in the news for its captivating plot and performance-packed work.
A remake of the Tamil blockbuster Garudan, Bhairavam is a story of friendship, deception, and justice set in the rural village of Devipuram, Andhra Pradesh. On its third day at the box office, the film saw encouraging numbers, despite special hurdles, most of which arose in North America because of the re-release of Mahesh Babu’s Khaleja.
Let us now observe how the movie performed at the box office, how it was received, and how Khaleja’s re-release impacted its North American collections.
Bhairavam Box Office Report: Day 3 Highlights
Bhairavam opened in theaters with a decent amount of hype due to its cast and intense marketing campaigns. At the end of its opening weekend, the movie earned a total of around ₹7.5 crore net in India, as per industry analyst Sacnilk.
This total is a steady performance in the first three days, with Day 3 contributing the lion’s share of around ₹0.98 crore net alone, as per initial estimates. Though the figures are not of the blockbuster variety, they show a good opening for a film whose virtues can be best appreciated only by its emotionality and action set pieces.
On its third day, Sunday, Bhairavam saw a Telugu viewership of around 17.51% in India, with the morning shows opening on a fairly low note at 17.5%. The viewership figure, however, climbed gradually throughout the day to around 30% in the afternoon shows and 30.5% in the evening shows, before falling to 24.3% during the night shows. This rise is a reflection of good word-of-mouth, particularly of the performances of the lead actors.
Social media reactions have praised Manchu Manoj’s forceful comeback after a nine-year hiatus, Nara Rohith’s calm and collected performance, and Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas’s reined-in yet effective acting.
Some audiences, however, noted that the formulaic nature of the film’s story and the lack of emotional depth in the second half somewhat dampened its overall effect.
Globally, Bhairavam grossed around ₹8.7 crore in its opening weekend, with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana grossing the lion’s share of ₹6.5 crore gross. The rest of India and overseas grossed around ₹2.2 crore gross. While these are heartening numbers, the movie still has some ground to cover to reach its break-even of ₹38 crore globally, as estimated by the industry.
With a cost of ₹15-20 crore or so, the movie will have to sustain the same pace to achieve a “hit” level, which would translate into a distributor share of ₹19 crore.
A Deeper Insight into the Cast and Performances
The only redeeming feature of Bhairavam is its cast, and they offer a blend of intensity and emotional depth on screen. Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, with his action hero image of playing high-octane action characters, plays a more earthy one in Seenu, an orphan boy who is particularly close to his childhood friends.
Fans have appreciated his effort to mix things up from his usually larger-than-life performances, particularly in the action-filled interval block and transformation sequence, which have been listed among the public’s favorites.
Nara Rohith, as Varadha, delivers the performance of a lifetime with his understated but powerful acting. His thoughtful delivery and composed presence have earned him praise as the emotional heart of the film.
Manchu Manoj, in a return to Telugu cinema with a bang, is brilliant on screen playing the character of Gajapathi. His commanding stature and deep baritone voice have been in great demand, but his acting has been criticized as being too melodramatic at times.
Divya Pillai is fine in a role that has significance, bringing emotional depth to pivotal scenes. Aditi Shankar’s role is wasted, though, as the actress gets barely a couple of songs and inconsequential scenes, leaving fans disappointed who were expecting more from the newcomer.
Vennela Kishore‘s comedic role as a constable is forced and unnatural and does not bring the much-needed humor to the story.
Challenges in North America: The Khaleja Re-Release Effect
While Bhairavam has been impressive in India, it was disappointing in the US, primarily because of the simultaneous re-release of Mahesh Babu’s cult movie Khaleja. The re-release, which began the same weekend Bhairavam was released, has garnered a large number of eyeballs among Telugu audiences in North America, surpassing fresh releases.
Khaleja, which was released in 2010, enjoys a loyal fan base, and its nostalgic appeal has drawn huge audiences, with advance bookings reportedly crossing ₹3 crore worldwide.
In North America, Bhairavam’s break-even is $200,000, but it had only surpassed $100,000 in its first weekend. The figure, though good for a rural action drama and a remake, is less than what one would have anticipated.
Industry observers attribute Khaleja as one of the key reasons behind Bhairavam’s lackluster success. The re-release garnered not only the fans of Mahesh Babu but also the nostalgia factor of the audience who wanted to watch the classic scenes of the movie on the big screen. This resulted in reduced screen availability and audience interest for Bhairavam in the prime markets of North America.
While this is not so bad for Bhairavam’s North American box office, as it has crossed $100,000 mark for a rural mass movie which is “exceptional,” and estimates indicate that it has the chance to hit as high as $115,000 this weekend.
To counter competition, the Bhairavam team is allegedly organizing special promotional activities in the USA to create hype and pull in more people. But the Khaleja shadow is deepening, and the film will have to rely on word-of-mouth to propel overseas figures in the coming weeks.
What’s Next for Bhairavam?
As Bhairavam starts its first week, its box office journey will be susceptible to word-of-mouth and sustained audience interest. The action scenes, especially those of Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, have been the drawcard for mass cinema enthusiasts.
But it has been faulted by critics for being flawed with a predictable storyline and poor development of certain characters, particularly Aditi Shankar and Vennela Kishore. The emotional core of the movie, the friendship bond between the three heroes, has touched some but didn’t resonate with them profoundly due to a deficiency in depth in the plot in the second half.
To achieve its break-even point, Bhairavam will have to maintain stable levels of occupancy and expand its international presence.
The producers are relying on the star power of the two main heroes and the rural setting of the film to bring crowds in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana rural belts. The OTT release, as of now not announced, also can give a second spurt to the reach and collections of the film.
Final Thoughts
Bhairavam has got off to a reasonable start at the box office, grossing ₹7.5 crore in India and ₹8.7 crore abroad at the close of the three-day mark. Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, Nara Rohith, and Manchu Manoj’s performances have been the highlight, and their intensity and chemistry have been enjoyed by their fans.
The film’s North American performance has been affected, though, by the re-release of Khaleja, which has stolen the spotlight and limited Bhairavam to over $100,000 against a break-even level of $200,000.
Though the movie is promising, it will not be a success. Currently, Bhairavam is an action drama that is worth watching with its moments but will not be able to match up to other movies in a crowded market. People who enjoy rustic action and tear-jerking stories might find it a good visit to the cinema, but the movie will have to fight through its issues to leave a lasting impression.
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Disclaimer: Box Office Collection data is compiled from various sources and by my own research. These data can be approximate or may have huge difference from producer figure or trade official’s and I do not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. Accordingly, I don’t provides no guarantees, implied warranties, or assurances of any kind, and will not be responsible for any interpretation made or used by the recipient of the information and data mentioned above.
Please note that these numbers are based on the real-time data and updates available trade websites and might be subject to slight variations in later, more finalized reports.
Also Read :- Khaleja 4K Re-Release: Mahesh Babu’s Cult Classic Creates Box Office Storm!
