We look at the box office performance of Doctor, Aranmanai 3, Most Eligible Bachelor, Kotigobba 3 and other movies that were released during the Dussehra holiday.
True to its title, Sivakarthikeyan’s Doctor has resurrected the ailing box office business in Tamil Nadu. Theatres across Tamil Nadu are running with maximum occupancy even during weekdays, thanks to solid word of mouth and positive reviews for Doctor. The long Dussehra weekend and the absence of any major competition boosted Doctor’s performance at the box office further.
The film, which is in its second week, is seemingly showing no sign of slowing down. It has come as a huge relief for single screen owners, who were among the hardest hit by the pandemic.
“At the end of 2nd weekend #DoctorMovie sets a miracle record of 58 HOUSEFULL shows of 59 played in both screens … This should be the career best opening for @Siva_Kartikeyan brother surpassing his previous best #Remo !!! (sic),” tweeted Rakesh Gowthaman, owner of Chennai’s Vettri Theatres.
“#Doctor is Huge Huge Huge in our Boxoffice. Running with Continues Houseful shows. 3rd Film of this year with huge demands for 2nd week advance booking (sic),” wrote Ram Muthuram Cinemas on its Twitter page.
Not just domestically, Doctor seems to be maintaining its bullish trend even overseas, from where it has added more than Rs 3 crore to its total collection so far. “#Doctor @Siva_Kartikeyan family entertainer is turning out to be a blockbuster, 2nd weekend all shows full in #TN, also highest tickets sold via booking apps after 2nd wave. And at #US box-office it is turning out to be #SK’s biggest hit, has crossed $4,40,000 (sic),” tweeted senior film journalist Sreedhar Pillai.
According to reports, Doctor has crossed more than Rs 60 crore worldwide within 10 days of its release. And if it maintains the trend, the movie will emerge as the biggest earner for Tamil cinema this year.
Going by the reports, director Sundar C’s Aranmanai 3 also took a good opening last Thursday. Even though it isn’t drawing crowds similar to Doctor, the film is expected to benefit from lack of other options in theatres, given all big releases have been reserved for the Deepavali weekend.
Doctor, which was also released in Telugu as Varun Doctor, has surprised trade pundits in the Telugu states with its performance. The film is seemingly holding well on its own against few Telugu originals that were released during the Dussehra holiday.
Director Bommarillu Bhaskar’s Most Eligible Bachelor is said to be making a dent. According to the makers, the film has grossed more than Rs 24 crore. And it is also putting up a decent show in the US.
Elated by the movie’s success, the film’s female lead Pooja Hegde on Sunday tweeted, “Trust your instinct. Trust your gut feeling. It always guides you in the right direction. Another Hit film in the bag. God, you have been very kind to me. Thank you. Congratulations to my team, cast and crew. Party hard.”
Director Ajay Bhupathi’s Maha Samudram, starring Sharwanand and Siddharth, has reportedly tanked at the box office.
Another romantic comedy PelliSandaD seems to be emerging as the dark horse among the Dussehra releases in the Telugu states. Despite being panned by critics, the film has received a warm reception from the audience.
In Karnataka, meanwhile, Sudeep’s Kotigobba 3 is dominating the box office. The makers have claimed that the film has collected more than Rs 12 crore on its opening day. There are also reports of actor Duniya Vijay’s Salaga setting the cash registers ringing at the box office.
Looks like, with the declining cases of infections, theatres have begun to gain a momentum of sorts. These big releases have prepared the box office for the big Deepavali releases in the south.