Thalapathy Vijay-starrer and Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial Leo finally released in theatres on October 19, following weeks and months of tremendous buzz amongst fans and trade circles.
Following the average to below-average box-office fates met by Master, Beast and Varisu, fans were very eager to see the new Vijay film succeed. That is was being mounted as an extension to the Lokesh Cinematic Universe that Kanagaraj had envisioned with the success of Kaithi and Vikram, made fans anticipate Leo's release with a lot of gusto.
Apparently, the film has surpassed its expected opening day collections, despite mixed reactions from critics and certain sections of the fans. While many Vijay for giving a no-holds barred performance, many expressed their disappointment over Kanagaraj's inconsistent screenplay. In addition to Vijay's performance, few words of praise were also reserved for Manoj Paramahansa's cinematography and Anirudh Ravichander's background score.
Makers of the movie announced that the film's first day global collections stand at ₹148 crores making it the biggest opening for an Indian film in 2023. It's also the biggest ever opener in the history of Tamil cinema.
In a bizarre incident witnessed on Chennai streets, erratic fans of Vijay were seen obstructing traffic as they broke coconuts in the middle of the street to celebrate Leo's success. Check out this citizen video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A user named theskindoctor13 urged fans indulging in this silly exercise to 'donate coconuts to commuters for free.'
Many were of the opinion that had the makers chosen to concentrate on their marketing plans in the Northern states of India, Leo could've garnered more than what was anticipated. Yet, if the trend continues in the days to come, then Leo stands a chance to surpass the lifetime collections of Rajinikanth's Jailer.
Besides Vijay, Leo also stars Trisha Krishnan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Gautham Vasudev Menon and others.
