Even as Badrinath opened to pathetic reviews, the production house Geetha Arts maintains that the movie collected Rs 16.5 crore over the weekend. A far cry from reality, Allu Aravind announced that the movie recorded one of the best openings in the history of Telugu cinema.

Allu Aravind informed that Badrinath collected Rs 14.5 crore in AP, Rs 1.6 crore in Karnataka, and Rs 75 lakh in Kerala. He also announced Badrinath contest to the movie goers and the prize for the winners is a free trip to Badrinath temple.

"There is a mixed talk about the film because people expected it to be a semi periodic film like Magadheera but it turned out to be a contemperory film. Allu Arjun's Himalayas sentiment is working well with the audience. He shot Gangotri there and then Desa Mudhuru was also shot in Himalayas.Now after watching Badrinath, many want to go to Badrinath temple" Allu Aravind said in a media conference on Monday.

Despite an official announcement from Geetha Arts that Badrinath collected Rs 16.5 crore in three days, trade pundits rubbished it off as publicity stunt and said that the movie didn't collect more than Rs 8.5 crore.

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