Vettaiyan Box Office Day 1: How much has Rajinikanth starrer actually earned on opening day?

    Despite a lukewarm pre-release buzz and mixed early reviews, Rajinikanth's Vettaiyan saw a surge in audience turnout across India and abroad, particularly during evening and night shows.

    Rajinikanth in Vettaiyan

    Rajinikanth in Vettaiyan

    Tamil superstar Rajinikanth remains the "king of openings" with his latest movie Vettaiyan taking a strong start both domestically and internationally. This opening day estimation is significant, considering the movie faced low buzz before its release compared to Rajinikanth's previous blockbuster, Jailer. Despite mixed early reviews, Vettaiyan managed to perform impressively as theatres saw a spike in footfalls during the evening and night shows.

    Vettaiyan has sold over Rs 60 crore worth of tickets for its opening weekend globally. Though the advance bookings did not meet expectations, the movie still delivered strongly on its opening day. Early estimates suggest that Vettaiyan earned over Rs 70 crore in ticket sales on day one.

    In India alone, Vettaiyan is reported to have grossed over Rs 36 crore. In Tamil Nadu, it became only the third Rajinikanth film to breach the Rs 20 crore mark on the opening day, following Jailer and Annaatthe. The film exceeded expectations in Kerala, nearing Rs 4 crore on its opening day—one of the highest openings for Rajinikanth in the state. However, it took a slower start in the Telugu states, where its gross is estimated at a little over Rs 4 crore.

    Vettaiyan is expected to benefit from the long weekend, with the Puja holidays boosting its performance. With Friday being a holiday, the film is poised for continued growth at the box office.

    Written and directed by TJ Gnanavel, Vettaiyan tackles the theme of justice and police encounters, focusing on a celebrated encounter specialist played by Rajinikanth, who must atone for a grave error in judgment.

    "One of Vettaiyan’s biggest downfalls is its indecisiveness about the main villain. Gnanavel tries to tackle too many social issues—extrajudicial killings, the controversial NEET exam, and corruption in the education sector—all in one film," read Desimartini's 2.5-star review of Vettaiyan.