Aghathiyaa Day 3 Box Office: Jiiva and Arjun Sarja’s film sees sharp drop, collects just Rs 55 lakh on Sunday after a decent start

Aghathiyaa struggles at the box office as Jiiva and Arjun Sarja’s horror thriller sees a sharp Sunday drop, collecting just ₹55 lakh. Mixed reviews and genre fatigue hurt its run.

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Mar 03, 2025 | 03:30 PM IST | 13.9K

Credit: Jiiva Arjun Sarja Instagram

Tamil actors Jiiva and Arjun Sarja’s latest film Aghathiyaa, co-starring Raashi Khanna, released on February 28 to lukewarm reviews. The horror thriller opened with modest numbers, collecting ₹75 lakh on Day 1. Hopes were pinned on the weekend to improve the film’s fortunes, and while Day 2 (Saturday) saw a slight jump to ₹85 lakh, Sunday turned out to be a major disappointment. Instead of benefiting from the weekend push, Aghathiyaa witnessed a steep drop, collecting just ₹55 lakh on Day 3. This sharp decline has left both the trade and fans shocked, pulling the film’s three-day domestic total to a mere ₹2.15 crore.

The Sunday slump, losing almost ₹30 lakh from the previous day, is considered alarming — especially for a film that boasts such a star-studded cast. Jiiva, a well-known name in Tamil cinema, has enjoyed strong box office runs in the past, with a solid fanbase across Tamil, Telugu, and even Hindi markets. Arjun Sarja, a veteran star with a loyal following across South India, also added weight to the cast. Plus, Raashi Khanna, a pan-South actress with a strong fanbase, was expected to draw attention. Despite this impressive line-up, Aghathiyaa failed to generate strong footfalls at theatres.

The film’s plot revolves around a haunted mansion turned into a tourist attraction, only for its dark secrets to unravel and cause chaos. While supernatural thrillers usually have a loyal audience in India, Aghathiyaa struggled to stand out. One reason could be the genre fatigue — haunted mansion stories have flooded screens in recent years. From Tamil web series Haunted 24 on Hotstar to films like Gadilo Chithakotudu and Love Me If You Dare in Telugu, the premise feels all too familiar.

With mixed reviews, weak weekend numbers, and heavy competition from Sabdham, Aghathiyaa has a tough road ahead. Unless a sudden turnaround happens with positive word of mouth, the film risks fading into the long list of forgettable horror flicks. The first weekday collections will now decide if Aghathiyaa can salvage its theatrical run or slip into loss territory.