Rajinikanth's latest offering Vettaiyan had a strong start at the box office, collecting Rs 31.7 crore on its opening day, as per Sacnilk. The momentum continued into its second day, with the film earning an impressive Rs 23.8 crore, bringing its nett domestic total to Rs 55.5 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. Vettaiyan is performing well, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In its first two days, the film has grossed Rs 49.1 crore in Tamil Nadu alone, and with the weekend approaching, its domestic total is expected to surpass Rs 70 crore.
On its second day, the film recorded an overall Tamil occupancy of 58.53%, with Chennai seeing a remarkable 72.50% occupancy across 1,042 shows, while Bengaluru had a 44.50% occupancy from 455 shows.
So far in 2024, the biggest Tamil hit has been Vijay's GOAT, which earned around Rs 70 crore in its first two days. Vettaiyan has already outperformed the two-day collections of Indian 2, which made Rs 43.8 crore. This film marks Rajinikanth's first major release following the blockbuster Jailer, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, which grossed Rs 650 crore worldwide during its run.
Vettaiyan is also facing stiff competition in northern India from Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video starring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri, and Alia Bhatt's Jigra, both of which released on October 11. Directed by TJ Gnanavel, Vettaiyan is a cop drama that addresses serious issues such as encounter killings and corruption in the education sector. The film features a stellar cast, including Amitabh Bachchan in his Tamil film debut, along with Manju Warrier, Kishore, Ritika Singh, Fahadh Faasil and Rana Daggubati.