Sivakarthikeyan's Amaran to upset Suriya's Kanguva ambitions in Tamil Nadu

The producers of the upcoming Tamil movie Kanguva, starring superstar Suriya, took their time selecting the perfect release date to maximize box office success. Initially scheduled for October 10, the release was postponed after Vettaiyan, starring Rajinikanth, chose the same date. Although the decision to avoid clashing with Vettaiyan disappointed Suriya’s fans and ignited fan wars on social media, the producers stood firm, prioritizing what they felt was best for Kanguva.

November 14 appeared to be an ideal date for a wide opening, with no other major releases scheduled across languages, allowing Kanguva a solo pan-India release. The producers anticipated that recent Tamil releases for the Deepavali holiday would lose traction at the box office, leaving Kanguva to take over most screens in Tamil Nadu.

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However, the producers didn’t foresee the possibility of a Deepavali release continuing to dominate both audiences and box office revenue in Tamil Nadu beyond two weeks. Amaran, the biographical drama starring Sivakarthikeyan, is likely to challenge Kanguva's hold on screens.

Amaran has been enjoying a strong run across South India, standing out as the top performer among Deepavali releases, including Lucky Bhaskar and Bloody Beggar. On its second Sunday in Tamil Nadu, Amaran grossed over Rs 10 crore and has become the biggest Tamil hit in the Telugu states, surpassing Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 and Vettaiyan. Strong weekday ticket sales suggest the movie could reach Rs 300 crore by the end of its third week.

With Amaran performing well, it is unlikely to relinquish a majority of its screens to Kanguva. The Suriya-starrer was expected to open on nearly 1,000 screens in Tamil Nadu alone. However, trade sources now predict that it may receive only about 50% of available screens, as Amaran continues to dominate. The impact of this on Kanguva's opening day earnings remains uncertain, but if the fantasy drama, written and directed by Siva, resonates with audiences, it could still turn the tide by the end of its opening weekend.

The producers are reportedly targeting over 10,000 screens for Kanguva on November 14.

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