Box Office: Aadhi and Lakshmi Menon’s SABDHAM Off to a Solid start in Tamil Nadu and Telugu states

Aadhi and Lakshmi Menon’s horror thriller Sabdham opens strong at the Tamil Nadu & Telugu box office with decent buzz and positive word-of-mouth from early shows.

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Feb 28, 2025 | 01:51 PM IST | 9K

credit: Aadhi Pinisetty Instagram

Tamil-Telugu horror film Sabdham, starring Aadhi and Lakshmi Menon, directed by Arivazhagan, has opened to strong buzz at the box office as the film hits cinemas today (Feb 28th). Especially after its paid premieres in Hyderabad on Thursday night and Chennai on Wednesday night, Sabdham has generated a lot of excitement. Reports are popping up from trade circles that Sabdham is set for a solid start at the ticket windows, with audiences heaping praises on its technical brilliance and gripping horror elements, especially in the first half of the film.

Relying heavily on sound-driven horror, Sabdham has been praised for its immersive acoustical experience that will give many edge-of-the-seat moments. Undoubtedly, one of the major highlights of Sabdham is its haunting background score and sound design, crafted by the talented maestro Thaman. His work has been receiving widespread appreciation from early viewers and their appreciation should translate into Box Office numbers now. Even his previous work for the same director's film, Vaishali, back in 2009, received similar applause.

Sabdham is helmed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, a director known for his gripping thrillers. His previous horror film, Vaishali (Eeram in Tamil), became a sleeper hit in both Tamil and Telugu, winning accolades for its screenplay and sound design. Of course, that vintage success has created immense curiosity around Sabdham. Arivazhagan is known for his ability to blend supernatural elements with strong narratives, and Sabdham seems to be another worthy addition to his filmography. If the word-of-mouth stays positive, this film could mark another success for the director at the Box Office. The Gen-Z audience also like this director for his web series Tamil Rockerz, which is based on the biggest piracy gang in India that poses a threat to films.

While his negative roles in films like Sarrainodu, and positive characters in movies like Rangasthalam and Ninnu Kori got appreciation, Hero Aadhi has been awaiting a big solo blockbuster for a long time. No doubt, Sabdham could be the perfect film to bring him back into the limelight. Meanwhile, talented actress Lakshmi Menon, known for her strong acting in films like Kumki and Sundarapandian, is returning to the silver screen after a long gap with Sabdham.
Final Thoughts

With lukewarm pre-release hype but positive early response from premieres, Sabdham should be off to a limited start but could still do magic. If it continues to engage audiences and get great word-of-mouth by matinee, surely the film ring box office registers big time.