Hyderabad: Rajinikanth's upcoming film Vettaiyan is set to hit theatres on October 10, just ahead of Dussehra. Directed by TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame, the film has generated high expectations, especially in Tamil Nadu, where the star commands a massive following. The film's advance booking is progressing at a strong pace, particularly for the Tamil version, which has sold 3.1 lakh tickets so far, grossing Rs 6.37 crore. With the Telugu version selling over 19,000 tickets and Hindi over 9,300, the total advance booking revenue for the opening day stands at Rs 6.64 crore, with 3,36,115 tickets sold across India, as per industry tracker Sacnilk.
The festive release timing and the film's star-studded cast, including Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, and Manju Warrier, are expected to boost its collections, particularly in Tamil and Telugu markets. Industry insiders believe that if the film garners positive word-of-mouth, it could rival this year's highest-grossing Tamil film, The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), starring Thalapathy Vijay.
However, a comparison with Rajinikanth's 2023 blockbuster Jailer is inevitable. Jailer broke box office records, earning over Rs 600 crore globally, with Rs 18 crore in advance sales in India alone, selling 8.77 lakh tickets on day one. In contrast, Vettaiyan is lagging behind, particularly in advance bookings. The film will have to rely on strong reviews and word-of-mouth to match the massive success of Jailer, whose day-one collection in India alone was Rs 56.6 crore.
Just 1️⃣ day to go! VETTAIYAN 🕶️ is all set to storm in cinemas. 🤩 Get ready for the ultimate hunt! 🔥#Vettaiyan 🕶️ Releasing on 10th October in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi & Kannada!@rajinikanth @SrBachchan @tjgnan @anirudhofficial @LycaProductions #Subaskaran @gkmtamilkumaran… pic.twitter.com/muXYQQ7Gh7
— Lyca Productions (@LycaProductions) October 9, 2024
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has granted special permission for five screenings of Rajinikanth's Vettaiyan on its release day. Typically, theatres in Tamil Nadu are limited to four shows per day on weekdays unless it's a designated government holiday. Filmmakers must seek approval from the state government for additional screening if their film premieres on a weekday and they wish to start the first-day-first-show at 9 am. Film's production house Lyca Productions has successfully obtained this permission from the Tamil Nadu governor.
BREAKING: TN govt grants special show permission for superstar #Rajinikanth's #Vettaiyan. pic.twitter.com/YYZqc3az7f
— Manobala Vijayabalan (@ManobalaV) October 9, 2024
With the festive season on its side and a talented cast, Vettaiyan is poised for a solid start, but it remains to be seen whether it can replicate the phenomenal success of Jailer.
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