Dhanush's NEEK vs Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon Day 1 TN Box Office: Dragon Takes a Massive 3× Lead Over NEEK!

Dragon dominates Day 1 at the Tamil Nadu box office, grossing ₹4.5 crores, triple that of Dhanush’s NEEK, which earned ₹1.25 crores. Will NEEK catch up?

By Shanaz Syed

Published on Feb 22, 2025 | 04:51 PM IST | 20.2K

Dragon dominates Day 1 at the Tamil Nadu box office, grossing ₹4.5 crores, triple that of Dhanush’s NEEK, which earned ₹1.25 crores. Will NEEK catch up?

The much-anticipated box office clash between young hero Pradeep Ranganathan's second venture as the main lead, Dragon, and Superstar Dhanush's third directorial venture, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, unfolded other day. Both these films were released yesterday (Feb 21) in Tamil, while their dubbed versions clashed at the Telugu Box Office, too. Though the reviews are positive for both movies, it looks like Dragon took the lead.

We have to say that Dragon has completely dominated Day 1 in Tamil Nadu, opening nearly three times bigger than Dhanush's Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam. Both films cater to the same genre of youthful love, Gen Z clashes and dramatic climaxes. While Dragon collected around ₹4.5 crores gross on Day 1, NEEK has to settle down with ₹1.25 crores gross. Fueled by strong pre-release buzz and a gripping cinematic experience, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, despite putting up a decent fight, has been overshadowed by Dragon’s sheer momentum.

Dragon’s Day 1 Occupancy Shows Strong Demand

Dragon had an excellent opening in Tamil Nadu, with occupancy steadily rising throughout the day as the day progressed, the occupancy kept increasing. Meanwhile, in the Telugu market, Dragon was released as "Return Of The Dragon" and the start was much slower compared to Tamil.

NEEK should keep Pace

On the other hand, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam had a steady opening but couldn't rival Dragon at the box office. While the film has received strong appreciation from Dhanush’s co-star, Tamil beauty Keerthy Suresh, as well as actors S.J. Suryah and director Mari Selvaraj, early trends indicate it may remain in second place unless a significant surge happens over the weekend.

As there is not much competition in Tamil and Telugu markets from other movies in terms of new releases, both Dragon and NEEK might take good advantage. Stay tuned for more updates!