After being appreciated for her performance in female-centric Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan carries forwards the legacy of hits with Kahaani, which has reportedly collected Rs.2.95 crore on its opening day.

Released Friday, the drama-thriller made at a shoestring budget of Rs.8 crore is receiving positive response from both the critics and audiences. In director Sujoy Ghosh's film, Vidya is cast as a software programmer. She comes to Kolkata from London in search of her husband, who is the father of her unborn child. Gautam Dutta, COO, PVR said that the film has superseded their expectation.

"The response we are getting for the film is phenomenal. There are families coming together to watch the movie. And since it is a women-centric film, there are group of females coming to watch the film. We are expecting a 80 percent occupancy all over India on weekend, which is something we did not expect. And the film should be able to do a good business," Dutta said.

" Kahaani is a film that is made for serious and sensible cinegoers. Vidya's performance is being appreciated by audience. The film is not entertaining like The Dirty Picture, that is why it has a niche audience. But it will not only recover its cost but also earn profits," said Delhi based distributor Joginder Mahajan.

If the story and Vidya's charma are attracting audiences, distributor Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts Ltd says word of mouth is also helping the film a lot in gaining success. As no big releases are scheduled for next week, sop Ghai feels absence of biggies at the box office will also help Kahaani in strengthening its position at the ticket window. "Since there is no big release next week, it is expected the movie will earn a good amount of profit," he added.