Chennai, Jan 15 : Tamil Pongal releases "Jilla"
and "Veeram" have struck gold at the box office and trade pundits
describe it as an auspicious start to 2014. Both the films have
registered record openings in the opening weekend.
They were
released Jan 10 worldwide and reportedly both the films have minted over
Rs.25 crore each in the opening weekend all over, said trade analyst
Trinath.
"We are unable to get an accurate number but both
'Jilla' and 'Veeram' have registered record openings. Each film has
collected over Rs.25 crore worldwide in the opening weekend. This is a
great start to the year," Trinath told IANS.
"Producers are not
keen on revealing exact numbers for personal reasons but the
distributors are extremely happy. The long Pongal break worked in favour
of the films," he added.
Vijay and superstar Mohanlal starrer "Jilla" also registered the highest opening in Kerala.
"The
film (Jilla) collected a whopping Rs.2.74 crore on its release day in
Kerala. That's the highest single day earnings for any film across all
languages in the state. Apparently, Mohanlal had said that even his own
films have not had such a big opening," distributor Arvind Nambiar told
IANS.
"It released in over 200 screens and received phenomenal
response. Mohanlal's presence in the film made a lot of difference. I
haven't seen such a response to a Tamil film outside the state," he
added.
Ajith Kumar-starrer "Veeram" too raked in the moolah.
"Ajith's
return in a rural avatar clicked at the box office. As the dhoti-clad
hero, he was received well by his fans, who watched back-to-back shows
on the opening day. In Tamil Nadu, 'Veeram' collected Rs.15.24 crore in
the opening weekend," said Trinath.
A leading producer, on the condition of anonymity, said that only stars can bring in the revenue during festive seasons.
"When
it comes to festivals such as Diwali and Pongal, only stars can control
the box office. Only stars like Vijay, Ajith and Suriya can rake in the
moolah. Small films may have a successful run but they won't register a
big opening," said the producer.