Piracy engulfs Pradeep Ranganathan’s DRAGON: Will this unexpected blow dent its Box Office performance now?

Despite crossing ₹100 crore globally, Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon faces a piracy leak. Will strong word-of-mouth and lack of competition keep its box office flight steady?

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Mar 04, 2025 | 06:28 PM IST | 7.3K

Credit: Pradeep Ranganathan Instagram

Pradeep Ranganathan’s latest youthful entertainer Dragon has been setting the box office on fire ever since its release on February 21. The film’s fresh storytelling, energetic performances, and relatable humor have struck a chord with Tamil audiences, helping Dragon rake in impressive numbers. By Day 12, the film has already collected a solid ₹62.30 crore at the Tamil Nadu box office, while its global collections crossed the coveted ₹100 crore mark. However, just as Dragon was flying high, an unexpected hurdle has appeared — online piracy.

In a disappointing turn of events, Dragon has fallen prey to piracy, with a high-definition version of the film surfacing online. Fans of Pradeep Ranganathan are understandably upset, fearing that this illegal leak could impact the film’s theatrical run and dampen its box office prospects. However, trade analysts and cinema lovers have a slightly different perspective. Given the current dry spell at the box office, Dragon stands tall as the only crowd-puller running successfully in cinemas right now.

Interestingly, Dragon has very little competition in theatres at the moment. Several other recent releases like Sabdham, Mazaka, and Aghathiyan opened to lukewarm responses, failing to impress audiences or generate significant footfalls. In such a scenario, Dragon has become the default choice for moviegoers craving entertainment. Traditionally, when multiple good films release at the same time, audiences tend to pick the best of the lot. But with most other films underperforming, Dragon enjoys a clear advantage, ensuring that the piracy leak might not be as damaging as feared.

Moreover, Dragon has built a strong connection with the youth audience, who have embraced the film’s humor, romance, and emotional touchpoints. The positive word-of-mouth and repeat audience factor further work in the film’s favor, making its box office journey relatively secure despite the piracy setback.

For now, Pradeep Ranganathan and his team can breathe easy, knowing that Dragon has all the right ingredients to keep soaring high. Piracy may have cast a shadow, but with no real competition and strong audience love, Dragon still looks unstoppable at the box office.