After 'Thalapathy' Vijay's The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) which hit theatres in September, the newly released TJ Gnanavel directorial Vettaiyan has resulted in fireworks at the box office.
The Tamil action drama starring 'Thalaivar' Rajinikanth and 'Big B' Amitabh Bachchan has become the second biggest opener of the year in Kollywood.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Vettaiyan minted Rs 30 cr all-India nett on Thursday. The film performed best in Tamil Nadu, which alone contributed Rs 26 cr at the box office, followed by Telugu collections, which were a little over Rs 3 cr.
However, its Hindi version faced a setback due to the ongoing OTT-release dispute, resulting in a limited release excluding national cinema chains. This could potentially impact the overall box office success, especially considering Amitabh Bachchan's significant draw.
Meanwhile, Vettaiyan’s collections are underwhelming in comparison with Rajinikanth’s previous film, Jailer, which broke records last year. Jailer had a staggering opening of Rs 48 crore, including Rs 37 crore in Tamil Nadu alone, thus surpassing Vettaiyan's all-India nett haul.
This disparity can be attributed to Jailer's immense hype due to the director being Nelson (Beast, Doctor). In contrast, Vettaiyan, helmed by TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame, is described as a more as a more grounded commercial entertainer.
Nonetheless, Vettaiyan is expected to benefit from the holiday weekend, which attracts the family audiences in large numbers.
With an ensemble cast starring Rana Daggubati, Dushara Vijayan, Fahadh Faasil, Rithika Singh, Manju Warrier, among others, Vettaiyan is currently running in theatres.
The film also marks Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan’s first film together in 33 years after the 1991 Hindi film Hum. It is also Amitabh’s debut in Tamil.
The film's technical crew comprises of music composer Anirudh, cinematographer S.R. Kathir, and editor Philomin Raj.