Thalapathy Vijay's The GOAT (Hindi) defies mixed reviews, grows at North Indian box office
While Thalapathy Vijay's The GOAT performed well in traditional Tamil cinema markets, its growing traction in North India has surprised many.
Updated : September 08, 2024 04:29 PM ISTWhile Thalapathy Vijay's The GOAT performed well in traditional Tamil cinema markets, its growing traction in North India has surprised many.
The GOAT poster
Thalapathy Vijay's latest release, The Greatest of All Time (The GOAT), has defied expectations despite receiving mixed reviews across South India. Within just three days of its release, the film has already grossed over Rs 200 crore worldwide, marking a highly successful opening weekend. While Vijay’s traditional strongholds, both domestically and overseas, have responded predictably well to the film, a surprising trend has emerged from North Indian states—a region typically less receptive to Tamil cinema.
Though The GOAT has not been a complete game-changer for Tamil films in North India, it indicates growing potential for such films to establish a foothold in the Hindi belt. Film exhibitor Akshay Rathi highlighted the missed opportunities for Tamil films in the region. “Unfortunately, The GOAT was virtually dropped into North Indian theatres with little promotion for its Hindi version. Tamil stars like Vijay and Ajith should start promoting their films proactively here. The content has mass appeal, and it's only a matter of time before it finds a consistent audience in the Hindi-speaking market," Akshay told Desimartini.
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Akshay further observed that North Indian audiences, especially in mass-market regions, are underserved when it comes to films that resonate with their tastes. He pointed to the success of films like Pushpa, which found an unexpected but huge audience in the region, and even mentioned Vijay’s previous film, Beast, which, despite underwhelming performance in Tamil Nadu, performed well on North Indian screens for several weeks. “The Hindi market hasn’t been delivering content in abundance, so when films from Tamil, Telugu, or Kannada arrive, they get picked up. Even if slightly underwhelming, they’re often better than what’s being offered locally,” Akshay added. While he doesn’t believe The GOAT will be a massive game-changer, he acknowledges that it’s “doing a reasonable job.”
Film trade expert Taran Adarsh also weighed in on the film’s Hindi market performance, tweeting, "GOAT shows a strong upward trend on Day 3 [Sat], with growth in mass-market regions as expected... The challenge now is to sustain this momentum beyond the 4-day extended weekend, starting from Monday."
Adarsh also noted that The GOAT had not been released in major multiplex chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis in North Indian markets, which significantly impacted its box office potential. “Had it been available in these theatres, the figures would have been much higher,” he added.
Adarsh provided detailed figures, highlighting the Hindi version's box office earnings in North India: "Thu 2.80 cr, Fri 1.90 cr, Sat 3.10 cr. Total: ₹7.80 cr. Nett BOC."