'Maharaja' earns Rs 100 crore despite 'Kalki', new box office record for Tamil cinema

'Maharaja' earns Rs 100 crore despite 'Kalki', new box office record for Tamil cinema

'Maharaja' has become the first Tamil film of the year to have crossed the benchmark of Rs 100 crore at the worldwide box office. Starring Vijay Sethupathi in the lead, the film has shown some hope for the Tamil film industry, which has struggled in the first half of the year at the box office. 'Maharaja' grossed Rs 100 crore worldwide in its third weekend.

As reported by the trade website sacnilk, the film collected around Rs 76 crore in India and around Rs 24 crore overseas. It surpassed Tamil film 'Aranmanai 4' as the top grossing Tamil film of the year at the worldwide box office. The horror-comedy finished its worldwide run at Rs 99 crore gross and 'Maharaja' is now expected to collect around Rs 105 crore gross by the end of its run at the ticket window.

This is a big feat for any film currently, with 'Kalki 2898 AD' doing wonders at the box office, both domestically and internationally. Starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the lead, the film is running wild overseas with a gross collection of over Rs 600 crore in five days. Back home, the Nag Ashwin directorial has collected Rs 343 crore nett, including the first Monday business which proved its strong hold at the box office.

'Kalki 2898 AD' at Tamil Nadu box office

For 'Maharaja', facing the 'Kalki 2898 AD'-storm becomes difficult from here. The latter has recorded a total gross of Rs 20 crore from the Tamil market alone, and it is expected to grow considering the kind of buzz the film is enjoying everywhere. The sky seems the limit for 'Kalki' right now, and it is likely to become the highest-grossing Tamil film in India, surpassing 'Maharaja'.

Meanwhile, the second half of 2024 looks more promising for the Tamil film industry. Except for 'Garudan' and the re-release of Thalapathy Vijay's 'Ghilli', the industry hasn't seen a lot of traction at the ticket window so far. That is expected to change with many potential hit films lined up to feature in the next six months.