I’m Game Box Office Collection Day 1: Despite the massive hype surrounding it as one of the three most anticipated movies hitting screens during this year’s Onam season, the postponement from its original release date seems to have hit director Nahas Hidhayath’s Dulquer Salmaan-starrer I’m Game hard. In fact, the fantasy actioner opened even below King of Kotha (2023), the actor’s last Malayalam outing in a lead role.

I’m Game day 1 box office collection breakdown

On Thursday, September 3, I’m Game recorded an India nett collection of Rs 5.40 crore across 2,714 shows, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. While the original Malayalam version minted Rs 4.55 crore, the Telugu and Hindi editions of the film earned just Rs 75 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively. The movie’s worldwide gross now stands at Rs 11.35 crore.

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During the day, the fantasy action thriller witnessed an overall occupancy of 44.58 per cent in the Malayalam market. While morning shows opened with 33.67 per cent occupancy, the rate improved as the day unfolded, reaching 35.08 per cent in the afternoon, 43.33 per cent in the evening, and 64.50 per cent during night screenings.

I’m Game opens below King of Kotha

Although I’m Game began its journey strongly, the movie’s performance isn’t impressive, as it couldn’t even match the opening-day figures of Dulquer’s last movie, the commercial disaster King of Kotha (Rs 6.85 crore), which eventually grossed just Rs 31.35 crore worldwide during its theatrical run.

In fact, I’m Game earned only Rs 1.35 crore more than what director Girish AD’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, minted on the same day (Rs 4.05 crore), despite it being the latter’s 14th day in cinema halls.

Can Dulquer Salmaan’s film hold up against Bethlehem Kudumba Unit?

Given that I’m Game opened slightly better than Vysakh’s Khalifa (Rs 5.35 crore), with a difference of just Rs 5 lakh, it’s highly likely that the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer might have fared even better had it hit the screens on its original release date, which coincided with the start of the Onam vacation.

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Considering that I’m Game only has Bethlehem Kudumba Unit as a competitor at the box office now, and with no major Malayalam releases in sight at the moment, the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer might be able to survive in theatres for some time.

About I’m Game

Also starring Kayadu Lohar, Antony Varghese Pepe, Samyuktha Viswanathan, Kathir, and Vinay Forrt in key roles, the fantasy actioner features cinematography by Jimshi Khalid, editing by Chaman Chakko, and music by Jakes Bejoy.

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In his review of the movie, SCREEN’s Anandu Suresh wrote, “One of the major issues with I’m Game is director Nahas Hidhayath’s lack of conviction. Whether in the posh opening scenes or the fantastical ones later on, it often feels as if the director isn’t entirely confident in the narrative, leading to a sense that he is holding himself back. Despite having three people write the script and two extra dialogue writers, the movie still feels like a collection of scenes and moments, and the lack of a cohesive script is obvious.”