Box Office: Jiiva, Arjun Sarja’s Aghathiyaa emerges as one of the biggest Kollywood disasters in recent times, leaving fans disappointed

Jiiva’s Aghathiyaa sinks at the box office, becoming one of Kollywood’s biggest flops despite a star-studded cast and dual roles.

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Updated on Mar 04, 2025 | 03:21 PM IST | 8.1K

credit: Aadhi Pinisetty Instagram

Tamil actor Jiiva, who has entertained audiences for over two decades, recently made his comeback with the horror-thriller Aghathiyaa. Released on February 28, the film saw Jiiva take on a dual role — playing both Aghathiyan and Nanjilan. Despite sharing screen space with seasoned actor Arjun Sarja and popular actress Raashi Khanna, the film opened to disastrous numbers. With a first-day collection of just ₹75 lakh, Aghathiyaa never picked up momentum and faced a severe drop over the weekend. By Monday, the film had almost disappeared from theatres altogether.

Bad reviews, tough competition — a recipe for disaster
From the very first shows, Aghathiyaa was hit by negative reviews. Critics called the film outdated, lacking the twists and thrills essential for a gripping horror thriller. To make matters worse, Aghathiyaa clashed with Sabdham, another horror release that enjoyed a better pre-release buzz and audience interest. While Sabdham benefited from decent word-of-mouth, Aghathiyaa struggled to draw crowds, leaving trade experts wondering if it was the film’s content or its poor release strategy to blame.

Weak promotions in a marketing-driven era
One major factor behind the film’s failure was its lackluster promotions. In 2025, when aggressive marketing — including multi-city tours, interviews, and social media campaigns — is crucial for even a decent opening, Aghathiyaa barely created any noise. Compared to other horror hits that went all out to reach audiences, Aghathiyaa felt invisible before release, leaving potential viewers unaware and uninterested.

Outdated formula fails to match South’s evolving horror taste
South audiences have a long-standing love for the horror-comedy genre, with films like Kanchana, Virupaksha, Pizza, and Arundhati becoming massive blockbusters. Many of these movies succeeded even with minimal promotions because their fresh concepts and innovative storytelling spoke for themselves. Unfortunately, Aghathiyaa offered neither — relying on a dated plot and uninspired narration that failed to spark curiosity.

With Aghathiyaa now cemented as one of Kollywood’s biggest recent disasters, Jiiva’s career desperately needs a strong comeback. Whether he can bounce back with sharper storytelling and smarter promotions in his next outing is the big question.