Maharaja box office: Vijay Sethupathi proves naysayers wrong as his comeback movie crosses Rs 50 cr mark

Maharaja is described as Vijay Sethupathi's comeback movie. You may wonder why, given that he has never taken a break from acting and has been part of several big hits in recent years. The movie is touted to be his comeback because it's his first solo film to achieve commercial success in a long time.

According to industry sources, Maharaja has earned more than Rs 50 crore by the end of its first week in theatres. It has grossed more than Rs 35 crore in ticket sales in India alone. If the movie maintains its momentum at the box office, Maharaja may well breach the Rs 100 crore mark.

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Many raised doubts about Vijay Sethupathi's potential to be a crowd-puller after he went on to play a series of supporting roles in movies of other stars. Last year, he played the antagonist in Jawan, starring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. Written and directed by Atlee, the film went on to earn more than Rs 1000 crore in ticket sales. Before that, he played the bad guy in Kamal Haasan's Vikram, which grossed Rs 400 crore at the box office. And a year before that, he played the villain in Thalapathy Vijay's Master.

While one cannot overstate Sethupathi's contribution to the blockbuster performances of these movies, many believed that this choice may have dismissed his potential as a lead actor. However, the response to Maharaja from the audience has proved Sethupathi's naysayers wrong.

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Not just the Tamil version, the Telugu version of Maharaja is also exceeding expectations. According to reports, the film has grossed more than Rs 6 crore from the Telugu states and is expected to breach the Rs 10 crore mark there.

Maharaja is written and directed by Nithilan Swaminathan. It follows the efforts of a barber to take revenge on those who wronged him.

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