Prabhas and Kajal Aggarwal in a still from Darling (2010), directed by A. Karunakaran (Credit: @KedarFilms/X)16 years after it first ran in cinemas, Prabhas and Kajal Aggarwal’s Darling is back on the big screen and doing business that most new releases would envy. The 4K remastered version of the 2010 romantic comedy hit theatres on Thursday and, according to industry tracker Sacnilk, sold over 2 lakh tickets, earning Rs 7.59 crore on Day 1. This places it second among all Telugu re-releases in terms of opening-day collections. The only film to record a higher opening day for a Telugu re-release is Baahubali: The Beginning, which earned Rs 19.65 crore.Darling has also performed well internationally. According to data reported by Venky Box Office, Darling 4K registered a Day 1 overseas gross of $32,093. North America was the biggest contributor, bringing in $20,962 from 82 locations. The United Kingdom collected £7,708, and Australia added around A$1,000.Darling also left behind recent high-profile re-releases in the Telugu market. According to Sacnilk, the film’s opening day collections were better than what Gabbar Singh 4K and Khaleja 4K managed during their respective re-release runs, further cementing Prabhas’ standing as the foremost box office draw in Telugu cinema right now.Also Read: Exclusive | ‘Jameel Jamali’ Rakesh Bedi not paid Rs 1 cr bonus for Dhurandhar, confirms manager: ‘Fake news’A booming re-release era in Telugu cinemaThe re-release wave in Telugu cinema picked up serious pace around 2024. Pawan Kalyan’s Gabbar Singh 4K, which originally released in 2012, earned Rs 6.25 crore in India on its opening day, including previews, making it the biggest re-release domestic opener at the time, ahead of Mahesh Babu’s Murari. Khaleja 4K, another Mahesh starrer, opened to Rs 6.85 crore on Day 1 worldwide and went on to cross Rs 10 crore in its total run, according to industry tracker Koimoi.Then came Baahubali: The Epic in October 2025, SS Rajamouli’s combined, remastered cut of both Baahubali films, released as a single 3-hour-45-minute experience, which grossed around Rs 12.50 crore on its opening day in India, with overseas collections estimated at Rs 6-7 crore, taking the worldwide total to roughly Rs 19-20 crore. Its final tally of over Rs 51 crore worldwide made Baahubali: The Epic the highest-grossing Telugu re-release title, Sacnilk reported.Why Darling’s re-release workedSeveral factors came together to make Darling’s re-release work where others either struggled or hit a ceiling. The Prabhas-Kajal Aggarwal chemistry feels fresh to audiences revisiting the film, and the pull of his pre-Baahubali work remains strong. G.V. Prakash Kumar’s soundtrack, with songs like “Neeve Neeve” and “Inka Edo”, plays well in a theatre with upgraded audio and 4K visuals. The film also had no significant competition in its release window.Story continues below this adDirected by A. Karunakaran and produced by Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra, Darling is widely considered a turning point in Prabhas’s career before Baahubali changed everything for himClick here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd