Tamil Nadu’s cinema halls have been grappling with challenging times since last November, with dwindling audience turnout after the release of Leo until the Sankranti festival.
On Sankranti, Captain Miller and Ayalaan hit the screens, with Captain Miller posting average numbers and Ayalaan garnering decent figures during the festival days. However, both films failed to sustain momentum post-festival week, prolonging the struggle for theater owners. Despite high expectations, Lal Salaam faltered at the box office, leading to the closure of several iconic single-screen theaters and the impending shutdown of more in the coming months.
Amidst this adversity, a ray of hope emerged with the Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, which proved to be a savior for theater owners. In its first week, the film grossed close to 4 crore in Tamil Nadu, but its second-week performance was nothing short of extraordinary, raking in a whopping 22 crore. This surge in collections provided a much-needed respite for theater owners.
As the film enters another weekend, it continues to dominate the box office, with expectations soaring towards a gross of nearly 40 crore by tomorrow in Tamil Nadu alone. Manjummel Boys has injected new life into theaters, offering a glimmer of optimism after a prolonged slump. With its anticipated extended run, it is poised to emerge as the top-grossing film of the year in Tamil Nadu, surpassing Ayalaan’s full run.”