Hyderabad: The craze for pan-India star Prabhas continues to grow, as one of the films that gave him fame and recognition has returned to theatres and is already creating box office records.

The 16-year-old romantic comedy hit Darling has been re-released in 4K format, and it has delivered a record-breaking performance on its opening day.

According to box office tracker Sacnilk, Darling 4K collected approximately Rs 7.59 crore worldwide on its first day. With this, the film has become the second-highest opening re-release in Telugu cinema history, after Baahubali: The Beginning.

Originally released in 2010 and directed by A. Karunakaran, Darling played a key role in shaping Prabhas’ early career. The film was so influential that he came to be popularly known as “Darling Prabhas” among fans.

The re-released version has once again entered the list of successful films, proving its lasting popularity even after 16 years.

Fans of Prabhas turned theatres into celebration venues rather than just movie screening halls. From early morning shows, they organised celebrations outside theatres with cutouts and fireworks. The film has generated the same level of excitement as a new release.

The success is attributed to its engaging story, music by G. V. Prakash Kumar, and the on-screen chemistry between Prabhas and actress Kajal Aggarwal.