Kiran Abbavaram and Sri Gouri Priya's Telugu romantic drama 'Chennai Love Story' continues its phenomenal run at the box office, delivering a strong performance on its crucial first Sunday. On its third day of release (Day 3, Sunday), the film collected an estimated net total of approximately ₹6.25 crore in India, taking its total India net collection to an impressive ₹20.20 crore. The film recorded a healthy 58% overall occupancy on Sunday, demonstrating strong audience demand across Telugu-speaking regions.
With its India gross collection now at ₹23.20 crore and an overseas gross of ₹5.50 crore, the film's total worldwide gross collection has crossed the ₹28 crore milestone, reaching ₹28.70 crore. The film has already become Kiran Abbavaram's highest-grossing film, surpassing his previous career best 'KA' (2024) which collected ₹26.94 crore.
Spectacular Day-Wise Performance
Directed by Ravi Namburi in his directorial debut, and produced by Sai Rajesh and SKN under the banners of Amrutha Productions and Mass Movie Makers, 'Chennai Love Story' features an ensemble cast led by Kiran Abbavaram as Steven and Sri Gouri Priya as Nivi, alongside Thrigun, Siri Hanumanth, Naveen Neni, Devi Prasad, Karuna Kumar, and P. Vasu in pivotal roles. The technical team includes cinematographer Viswas Daniel, editor Santhosh Naidu, and music composed by Mani Sharma.
The film's daily trajectory has been spectacular, starting with a strong opening of ₹4.95 crore on Friday, followed by ₹5.50 crore on Saturday (11.11% jump), and ₹6.25 crore on Sunday (13.6% growth). The consistent growth over the weekend indicates strong word-of-mouth and positive audience reception, especially given the competition from major releases like Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' and Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'.
Occupancy rates have been encouraging, with the film recording 41% on Friday, 50% on Saturday, and 58% on Sunday, demonstrating growing audience demand across Telugu-speaking regions. The film's performance in key territories like Nizam, Ceded, and Andhra has been particularly strong, with the total share from Telugu states reaching ₹12.92 crore.
Breakthrough Performance for Kiran Abbavaram
Produced on a reported budget of ₹30 crore, the film has already crossed the break-even mark within just three days of its theatrical release, earning approximately ₹16.25 crore share worldwide. This makes 'Chennai Love Story' one of the most profitable Telugu films of the year, delivering a massive return on investment for its producers.
With its current trajectory, 'Chennai Love Story' is on track to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2026. The film has already crossed the lifetime collections of 'SK Kalyana Mandapam' (₹11.31 crore) and 'K-Ramp' (₹19.8 crore), and has now surpassed 'KA' (2024) to become Kiran Abbavaram's career-best film.
The film's storyline, which revolves around Nivi, a heartbroken young woman who travels to Chennai with her friends and meets Steven, an aspiring filmmaker, has resonated with audiences. Their shared journey of healing and second chances has struck an emotional chord, contributing to the film's phenomenal theatrical run despite mixed critical reviews.