Korean Kanakaraju Box Office Day 7: Varun Tej’s Horror-Comedy Enters Top 10 But Can It Survive Week 2?

Varun Tej finally has something to celebrate at the box office. His latest Telugu release, Korean Kanakaraju, has completed its first week in theatres with a respectable collection, emerging as one of his better-performing films in recent years.

Directed by Merlapaka Gandhi, the horror-comedy has managed to keep audiences interested despite facing a noticeable drop in collections after its opening weekend. The film’s first-week performance has also helped it enter the top 10 opening-week collections among Telugu films in 2026.

According to the figures cited in the available trade report, Korean Kanakaraju has collected around ₹19.02 crore net in India during its first seven days, with its India gross standing at approximately ₹22.44 crore.

The number is particularly significant for Varun Tej, whose recent releases, including Matka and Operation Valentine, failed to make the desired impact at the box office.

Korean Kanakaraju Day 7 Box Office: How Did It Perform?

Korean Kanakaraju opened its theatrical run with a solid ₹4.20 crore net on Day 1 in India.

The film then benefited from the weekend, taking its opening-weekend total to around ₹13.20 crore.

However, the weekday trend was less impressive.

The film witnessed a substantial decline on its first Monday, collecting approximately ₹2.10 crore. Tuesday brought another drop, with the film earning around ₹1.60 crore.

By Thursday, the daily collection had slipped below the ₹1 crore mark.

Despite the weekday slowdown, the film managed to finish its first week with a cumulative ₹19.02 crore net.

That gives Korean Kanakaraju a first-week gross of roughly ₹22.44 crore in India.

Varun Tej’s Film Cracks the 2026 Top 10

One of the biggest positives for Korean Kanakaraju is its position among the year’s best-performing Telugu films during their opening weeks.

With its ₹19.02 crore first-week net, the film has reportedly moved into 9th place on the 2026 Tollywood opening-week chart, pushing Nari Nari Naduma Murari out of the top 10.

However, there is still a sizeable gap between Korean Kanakaraju and the film immediately above it.

Chennai Love Story sits ahead with an opening-week collection of around ₹26.92 crore, meaning Varun Tej’s film would need a considerable jump in collections to challenge that position.

The ranking nevertheless represents an encouraging development for the actor.

Has Korean Kanakaraju Recovered Its Budget?

The film is reportedly made on a production budget of around ₹38 crore.

After seven days, its India net collection stands at ₹19.02 crore, which means the film has recovered roughly half of its reported production budget from its domestic net theatrical earnings.

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However, box office collection and producer recovery are not the same thing. A film’s theatrical share, distributor terms, overseas earnings, digital rights, satellite rights and other revenue streams also influence whether a project ultimately becomes profitable.

That makes the second week particularly important for Korean Kanakaraju.

Week 2 Will Decide How Far It Can Go

The first week has given the film a decent platform, but maintaining momentum now becomes the bigger challenge.

The weekday fall suggests that the film will need a strong second weekend to keep its theatrical run healthy. If collections show stability over the coming days, Korean Kanakaraju could continue building on its current total.

On the other hand, another sharp drop could make it difficult for the film to reach the levels needed for a strong theatrical recovery.

For Varun Tej, however, the immediate picture is already considerably brighter than it was after his previous releases.

A Much-Needed Box Office Win for Varun Tej?

Varun Tej entered Korean Kanakaraju after a difficult phase at the box office.

Matka struggled commercially, while Operation Valentine also failed to deliver the kind of theatrical impact expected from the actor.

Korean Kanakaraju has therefore arrived at an important moment in his career.

The film may not yet be a blockbuster, but its first-week performance gives Varun Tej something he has been missing: positive box office momentum.

Its horror-comedy format, combined with Merlapaka Gandhi’s direction, appears to have found a more receptive audience than some of the actor’s recent projects.

The real test, though, begins now.

With ₹19.02 crore net already in the bank after seven days, Korean Kanakaraju has made a promising start to its theatrical journey. But whether that turns into a genuine commercial success will depend heavily on what happens in Week 2.

For Varun Tej, the crown is not quite back yet — but Korean Kanakaraju has certainly brought him closer to the box-office conversation.