Although Samantha Ruth Prabhu's appearance in the mytho-fantasy drama Shaakuntalam attracted viewers, it did not translate into strong box office performance. The movie has been a box office dud ever since it opened in theatres on April 14. The mythical drama, which Gunasekhar directed, received mixed to negative reviews from critics, and on the opening day, theatregoers did not show up in significant numbers.
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Samantha Ruth Prabhu has a large following in India, yet despite this, the teasers and songs for her most recent film fell flat with audiences. The shoddy VFX played the spoiler, despite the actress looking every bit as lovely in the movie.
Early trends indicate that the movie is barely going to gross Rs 2 crore on day three. Given that this was the movie's debut weekend and there wasn't much competition, the performance is quite underwhelming.
Shaakuntalam reportedly had an overall Telugu occupancy on Saturday of 20.59% and an occupancy rate of 8.35% in Hindi. The figures might have been impacted by the fact that New Year's Day was celebrated in the majority of states on Saturday. On Sunday, the real test for the movie will be if viewers show up to watch a female-led production.
It is directed by Gunasekhar and has crucial performances by Jayadev Mohan, Sachin Khedekar, Prakash Raj, Mohan Babu, Aditi Balan, Madhoo, Jisshu Sengupta, and Allu Arha. The drama Abhignyana Shaakuntalam by Kalidasa served as its inspiration.
Talking about his labour of love, Gunasekhar said, "The film traces the emotional journey of a woman who falls in love and the challenges fate throws at her. She's a character of inner strength who depicts her emotions with dignity and grace in all that she does. Her truth is her strength, all these emotions can only be portrayed by a wonderful performer like Samantha and she was our only choice to be able to create this epic."