Abhishek Nama's ambitious mythological fantasy, Nagabandham, hit the screens worldwide on July 3 amidst decent buzz in the Telugu market. The film, starring Virat Karrna and Nabha Natesh, registered an opening day collection of approximately Rs 3.40 crore net across India, according to early trade estimates .
This opening, while modest, has secured the 8th biggest opening for a Tollywood film in 2026 at the Indian box office . The film's reported budget of Rs 100 crore had built curiosity among movie buffs, resulting in some footfall in theaters on the opening day . The film had a 22% overall occupancy on Day 1, with around 3,202 shows across the country .
State-wise, the film performed best in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with Rs 3.05 crore gross, followed by Karnataka with Rs 0.35 crore and Tamil Nadu with Rs 0.20 crore . The Hindi dubbed version, however, struggled to find an audience, with first week collections of just Rs 1.31 crore in reported circuits .
Directed by Abhishek Nama, who also penned the story and screenplay, Nagabandham is produced by Kishore Annapureddy and Nishitha Nagireddy under the banners of NIK Studios and Abhishek Pictures . The film features an ensemble cast including Virat Karrna as the lead protagonist, Nabha Natesh and Iswarya Menon as the female leads, with Jagapathi Babu, Mahesh Manjrekar, Murali Sharma, and Rishabh Sawhney playing pivotal roles . The cinematography is handled by Soundar Rajan, with editing by RC Pranav .
The film, which blends mythology, fantasy and adventure, revolves around a sacred treasure connected to Lord Anantha Padmanabha Swamy hidden in the Himalayas . However, it was widely panned by critics as a visual spectacle lacking in substance, which has impacted its box-office performance .