Pradeep Ranganathan’s ‘Dude’ continues its successful box office run, crossing the Rs 64 crore mark within ten days of release. The film, which opened to strong word of mouth, has maintained a steady hold through its second weekend.According to early estimates by the Sacnilk website, ‘Dude’ earned Rs 3.25 crore on its tenth day across languages, taking its total India net collection to Rs 64.90 crore.The week-one performance was impressive, with Dude grossing Rs 56.5 crore — Rs 43.65 crore from Tamil and Rs 12.85 crore from Telugu versions. Despite a slight drop on its second Friday, the film bounced back over the weekend, showing a 57.5% jump on Saturday.
Tamil version maintains strong hold
Tamil Nadu continues to be Dude’s strongest market. On Sunday, October 26, the film registered an overall Tamil occupancy of 33.95%. The evening shows peaked at nearly 46%. The Telugu version maintained a moderate yet consistent 21.82% occupancy.Directed by Keerthiswaran, Dude features Pradeep Ranganathan alongside Mamitha Baiju, R. Sarathkumar, Rohini, and Hridhu Haroon.
Praise for music, questions over storyline
According to ETimes’ review, Dude “finds the right balance between mass and meaning” which is a rare feat in recent commercial cinema. Debut composer Sai Abhyankkar has been widely appreciated for his impactful score that aligns with Keerthiswaran’s vision.However, our review says that despite the film’s pro-woman dialogues and socially conscious tone, ‘Dude’ falls short of being as progressive as it aims to be. The controversial central love track between first cousins has also sparked debate.