2024: A Dull Year for Tamil Cinema Compared to 2023
The Tamil film industry had a relatively dull year in 2024, especially when compared to the blockbuster-filled 2023. While a few films managed to perform exceptionally well, several big-star movies underperformed at the box office, leaving fans and trade analysts disappointed.
Here is the Top Grossing Tamil Movies in 2024:
| No | Movie | Day-1 | Closing Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOAT | 102cr | 454cr |
| 2 | Amaran | 36cr | 335cr |
| 3 | Vettaiyan | 68cr | 254cr |
| 4 | Maharaja | 16cr | 200cr |
| 5 | Raayan | 23.6cr | 160cr |
| 6 | Indian 2 | 56cr | 150cr |
| 7 | Kanguva | 42cr | 107cr |
| 8 | Aranmanai 4 | 6cr | 100cr |
| 9 | Ayalaan | 6cr | 80cr |
| 10 | Captain Miller | 16.2cr | 73cr |
| 11 | Thangalaan | 22.5cr | 76cr |
| 12 | Pushpa 2 | 10cr | 75cr |
| 13 | Garudan | 4cr | 47cr |
| 14 | Demonty Colony 2 | 5cr | 49cr |
| 15 | Viduthalai Part 2 | 12cr | 63cr |
| 16 | Kalki AD (Tamil) | 6cr | 46cr |
| 17 | Lubber Pandhu | 1cr | 45cr |
| 18 | Meiyazhagan | 6.50cr | 52cr |
| 19 | Vaazhai | 1.40cr | 39.5cr |
| 20 | Lal Salaam | 6cr | 31cr |
Big Hits and Box Office Disappointments
The only major star-led films that emerged as solid hits were GOAT, Amaran, and Raayan. These films not only had massive openings but also sustained well throughout their theatrical runs.
- GOAT (₹454 Cr Gross) – Thalapathy Vijay’s biggest opener in 2024 with ₹102 Cr on Day 1, it dominated the box office and became the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year. Despite movie Performed well in terms of collections, it didn’t achieved full potential at boxoffice.
- Amaran (₹335 Cr Gross) – Shiva Karthikeyan’s Biopic of Major Mukund Varadarajan, an Indian Army officer who died in 2014 film surprised everyone by collecting ₹36 Cr on its opening day. It became the biggest hit in Shiva Karthikeyan’s films, and 2nd highest grosser of the year.
- Raayan (₹160 Cr Gross) – Dhanush’s much-hyped gangster drama had a strong start with ₹23.6 Cr on Day 1 and sustained well, making it a profitable venture.
- Maharaja (₹200 Cr Gross) – Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja is the best movie in 2024 in terms of boxoffice performance and story wise. This Movie collected around 100 core in china, making it the biggest grossing tamil movie of all time in china.
However, apart from these movies, most big-star films failed to meet expectations:
- Vettaiyan (₹254 Cr Gross) – Superstar Rajinikanth’s movie had a fantastic ₹68 Cr opening, but it couldn’t maintain momentum and ended up as an underperformer.
- Indian 2 (₹150 Cr Gross) – Despite Kamal Haasan’s legendary character Senapathy returning, the film couldn’t cross the ₹200 Cr mark. Released as most hyped movie and ended up as disaster.
- Kanguva (₹107 Cr Gross) – Suriya’s period drama started well (₹42 Cr Day 1) but failed to capitalize on the hype, ending with just ₹107 Cr globally, and ended up as biggest disaster in Kollywood.
- Captain Miller (₹73 Cr Gross) – Dhanush’s other big release opened decently (₹16.2 Cr), but word-of-mouth wasn’t strong enough for it to sustain.
- Viduthalai Part 2 (₹63 Cr Gross) – A follow-up to Vetri Maaran’s critically acclaimed Viduthalai Part 1, but it didn’t perform as well as expected.
- Lal Salaam (₹31 Cr Gross) – Despite featuring Rajinikanth in an extended cameo, the film flopped after opening at ₹6 Cr.
The Unexpected Saviors: Small Films That Became Blockbusters
Amidst the big films struggling, small and mid-budget films saved the Tamil box office. Some unexpected hits came from films that started slow but gained momentum due to strong content and word-of-mouth.
- Garudan (₹47 Cr Gross) – Started with just ₹4 Cr on Day 1 but ended up as a huge hit, proving that strong storytelling can still bring audiences to theaters.
- Demonte Colony 2 (₹49 Cr Gross) – A horror sequel that exceeded expectations, collecting ₹5 Cr on opening day but crossing ₹49 Cr worldwide.
- Vaazhai (₹39.5 Cr Gross) – A small-budget film that initially had a dull opening of ₹1.4 Cr but became a sleeper hit.
- Lubber Pandhu (₹45 Cr Gross) – Blockbuster movie opened with 1cr globally, ended up with almost 50cr gross globally.
Re-Releases and Other Notable Films
- Ghilli (Re-Release) (₹30 Cr Gross) – Vijay’s iconic 2004 film returned to theaters and shocked the industry by grossing ₹30 Cr, proving his massive fan following.
Final Verdict: A Tough Year for Tamil Cinema
2024 was a mixed year for Kollywood. While GOAT, Amaran, and Raayan delivered solid box office numbers, most big-star films struggled to meet expectations. On the other hand, small and mid-budget films like Garudan, Demonte Colony 2, Lubber Pandhu and Vaazhai proved that content-driven films can still bring success, even without massive star power.
Looking ahead, 2025 needs stronger content, fresh storytelling, and better execution to revive the Tamil cinema industry to its former glory.
