The exciting journey of the film ‘Dacait’

Mumbai: Adivi Shesh and Mrunal Thakur’s new film ‘Dacait’ is going to be released in theaters on 10 April 2026. This is an action thriller, which will show the story of romance and revenge. Adivi Shesh seeks revenge after becoming the victim of a betrayal, while Mrunal Thakur will be seen alongside him.

Will ‘Dacait’ be among Tollywood’s top openings?

The film also stars Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Raj, Atul Kulkarni, Sunil and other actors. It is directed by Shenil Dev. The recently released trailer has received mixed response from the audience. Some praised the action sequences and chemistry, while others found the story a bit heavy. Mrunal Thakur has expressed his happiness towards the trailer.

Advance bookings for premiere shows in the US are going well, with more than 5,400 tickets sold and crossing the $1 lakh mark. This is indicative of a strong opening overseas. 2026 has had a mixed start for Tollywood, with a few films performing well but a lack of big openers.

What is important for the success of a film?

‘Dacoit’ will have to work hard to become a top-3 opener. It is estimated that it may open around Rs 4-6 crore nett. Some experts are talking about a target of Rs 5 crore. Without the support of any major festival or holiday, it will be interesting to see if it will be able to reach the level of 5.5 crore films. The budget of the film is approximately Rs 70 crore.

To enter the safe zone, it will have to earn at least Rs 70 crore nett at the Indian box office. First day collection alone will not be enough, so word-of-mouth will be very important. Adivi Shesh’s previous film ‘HIT: The Second Case’ had earned Rs 25-26 crore nett, so ‘Dacait’ will have to perform better than that.

Bilingual release and production

The film is releasing in both Telugu and Hindi languages, which is an important step for Adivi Shesh as Mrunal Thakur looks to strengthen her identity in the South. The production is in the hands of Anapurna Studios and Sunil Narang.

Overall, the first day collection of ‘Dacait’ is likely to be between 4 to 6 crores nett. If word of mouth is positive, we may see an increase over the weekend. The buzz is moderate currently, but overseas pre-sales and action-packed trailers can draw audiences to the theatre. Will it be able to make it to Tollywood’s top openers list of 2026? This will become clear only after release.