Nithilan Swaminathan directorial Maharaja, starring Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass and Mamta Mohandas, crosses Rs 100 crore mark worldwide.
Vijay Sethupathi‘s latest release Maharaja has breathed new life into Tamil cinema, ending a prolonged dry spell at the box office. The film has grossed Rs 100 crore worldwide by its third weekend, making it the biggest Tamil grosser of the year, dethroning Sundar C’s Aranmanai 4. Despite the release of Prabhas’ highly anticipated Kalki 2898 AD on June 27, Maharaja has managed to hold its ground.
According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Maharaja has collected around Rs 76 crore in India and approximately Rs 24 crore overseas. This impressive feat has pushed the film past the previous top-grossing Tamil film of the year, Aranmanai 4, which ended its worldwide run with Rs 99 crore (the makers of Aranmanai 4 have claimed the film has earned Rs 100 crore). Maharaja is now expected to earn around Rs 105 crore by the end of its theatrical run, according to the website.
Though Kalki 2898 AD’s Tamil version is expected to take down Maharaja, the performance of the Vijay Sethupathi starrer despite the tough competition is commendable. Directed by Nithilan Swaminathan of Kurangu Bommai fame, Maharaja is a non-linear film about the case of a missing dustbin from a barber’s house.
Maharaja received positive reviews, but it was also panned for the lack of sensitivity with the way it dealt with sexual violence. The Indian Express’ Kirubhakar rated the film with two stars and wrote, “The reason behind the bloodbath is something Tamil cinema keeps going back to without sensitivity. There’s only a thin line that separates exploitation and concern when it comes to movies that fight for a cause. Maharaja doesn’t seem to tread the line that well.”
Other than Vijay Sethupathi, the movie had Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass and Mamta Mohandas in important roles.