Two of Kollywood’s biggest draw actors, Ajith Kumar and Thalapathy Vijay, arrived with their respective flicks, Thunivu and Varisu, and there was a carnival in theatres all around Tamil Nadu. From midnight on, there were street parties as eager fans awaited the arrival of their favourite celebrity on the big screen. While Thunivu had programming beginning at 1 am, Varisu had its state debut at 4.30 am. And as anticipated, Thunivu and Varisu have both had strong opening weekends at the box office in Tamil Nadu.
The occupancy for the two movies ranged from 85 to 90% throughout the day and didn’t show any indications of slowing down at the box office on the first day. Due to the excitement around the two movies, houseful performances across the state were recorded in advance. In Tamil Nadu, Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu narrowly defeated Thalapathy Vijay’s Varisu in the box office. Early box office trends predict that Thunivu would earn between Rs 18.50 and Rs 20.50 crore on its opening day, while Varisu has amassed a state total of between Rs 17 and Rs 19 crore. The only real difference between the two movies is that Thunivu has been able to secure more favourable screenings than Varisu.
Boney Kapoor, Zee Studios, and Red Giant Films, who are also the producers, made sure that Thunivu was shown on high-quality screens throughout the state. Although there are not many differences between Varisu and Thunivu in terms of the number of theatres and shows, Thunivu has been able to better collect theatres and develop larger screens through seats than Varisu. Kudos to the Thunivu team for securing a premium release for their product as both movies competed head-to-head for audience attention in Tamil Nadu. As a result, the capacity has played a part in determining the winner.
Depending on where the final numbers fall in the morning, the cumulative Tamil Nadu gross for the two movies is somewhere between Rs 35 and Rs 40 crore. It’s a significant day for Kollywood, and the good news is that the state’s holiday season officially kicks off on Friday, giving both movies longer than average runs at the box office. The developments in the days to come are equally encouraging, and they should drive both movies toward a black at the end. The showcasing for Saturday and Sunday will be decided in large part on Thursday and Friday.
Both Thunivu and Varisu performed as well at the box office outside of Tamil Nadu. However, Varisu currently has a minor advantage over Thunivu in this situation. Varisu is anticipated to earn between Rs 8.50 crore and Rs 9.00 crore outside of Tamil Nadu, while Thunivu is anticipated to earn between Rs 8.00 crore and Rs 8.50 crore. Depending on where the results from the smaller centres land in the morning, anyone might win again. The combined full-day total for both movies would be about Rs 54 crore, with the All India Gross for both movies expected to be in the range of Rs 27 crore. This number was achieved despite the fact that Thalapathy Vijay’s Varisu was not released in Telugu.
Without a clash, a career-best opening for Ajith Kumar was unquestionably in the cards as the trailer had sparked excitement not only among the audience outside of Tamil Nadu but also among fans. Thunivu has emerged as one of the biggest openers for Ajith Kumar outside of Tamil Nadu. Thunivu has performed significantly better than Ajith Kumar movies typically do in the global box office, which shows how resilient he is there. The premieres of Thunivu and Varisu once again demonstrated the devoted fan bases that both Vijay and Ajith command. The two Tamil Nadu performers rightfully qualify as superstars.
The Pongal 2023 festival once again reaffirms the existence of Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith Kumar, and Thalapathy Vijay as the top four actors in Tamil cinema (in any order). In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is a significant time for the box office. At the Tamil Nadu box office in 2019, the competition between Rajinikanth’s Petta and Ajith’s Viswasam brought in over Rs 230 crores, more than 50% more than the state’s highest-grossing movie at the time, Baahubali 2. In fact, the combined earnings of Petta and Viswasam even outperform Ponniyin Selvan, the current top earner. It is hoped that both movies will be well received and that their combined box office will reach up to Rs. 300 crores.
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