Ghilli box office collections: Thalapathy Vijay starrer Obilterate opening record for Indian Re-releases
Ghilli sets an all-time record for an Indian re-release, surpassing Telugu films like Businessman and Kushi, which grossed around Rs. 4 crore globally on their first day.
The 2004 Tamil blockbuster Ghilli was re-released yesterday and has received a blockbuster response. The film led by reigning superstar Vijay grossed Rs. 7.50 crore approx worldwide on its opening day, including some overseas previews on Friday. This sets the all-time record for an Indian re-release, surpassing Telugu films like Businessman and Kushi, which grossed around Rs. 4 crore globally on their first day.
Ghilli grossed Rs. 4 crore plus in Tamil Nadu on the first day, which is second second-highest opening day for a film in the state this year, ahead of films like Lal Salaam and Ayalan. The re-release has also performed exceptionally well overseas, earning around USD 350K, a number that most new releases fail to achieve. Some major markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom, didn’t see the film's release this week, which could have potentially pushed the overseas earnings to USD 500K.
The territorial breakdown for the first-day box office collections of Ghilli is as follows:
Area | Gross |
---|---|
Tamil Nadu | Rs. 4.25 Cr. |
Karnataka | Rs. 0.30 Cr. |
Rest of India | Rs. 0.20 Cr. |
India | Rs. 4.75 Cr. |
Canada | USD 50,000 |
Malaysia | USD 75,000 |
Singapore | USD 35,000 |
France | USD 70,000 |
Europe | USD 50,000 |
Rest of World | USD 60,000 |
Overseas | USD 340,000 |
Worldwide | Rs. 7.50 Cr. |
Re-releases used to be a big business in the last century, with films often doubling their original run through re-releases. However, with the advent of home media and satellite television, the appeal of re-releases declined, and the trend faded out of existence in any meaningful form.
Recently, there has been a resurgence of re-releases, particularly in the Telugu film industry. These re-releases are often timed to coincide with star birthdays or film anniversaries, serving as celebratory fan events. Post-COVID, as the number of new releases dried up, these re-releases provided exhibitors with a means to fill the void. While some Tamil films also jumped on this trend, none of them received a strong reception until Ghilli came along. Most of the Telugu re-releases were essentially one-day events, with hardly any business after that. However, Ghilli is seeing robust sales even on its second day, suggesting it may have some kind of run in Tamil Nadu.