Since last Friday, Chidambaram's Balan: The Boy has been dominating much of the discourse around Malayalam cinema. The film has opened to positive reviews and has been having a good run commercially as well. Meanwhile, another film has made its way to theatres rather quietly and has opened to positive reviews: Chinna Chinna Aasai, starring Indrans and Madhoo.
Director Varsha Vasudev's film revolves around two characters who spend a day in Varanasi. When a woman (Madhoo) who goes to the holy city with a crew gets stranded there, a man (Indrans) gives her some company. The two strangers bond over shared walks, meals, and conversations by the Ganges. What starts as a chance meeting quickly becomes an unspoken bond, which lingers beyond one day.
According to the industry tracker Sacnilk, in gross terms, Chinna Chinna Aasai has earned a collection of 87 lakh over the first four days of its release. It opened with 17 lakh, followed by 18 lakh, 29 lakh, and 13 lakh on days two, three and four, respectively. In net terms, meanwhile, the Chinna Chinna Aasai box office collection stands at 77 lakh.
Despite the presence of Indrans and Madhoo and positive appreciation from audiences, the film has struggled to mint big money at the box office. The film has brought Madhoo back to Malayalam cinema after a role in the 2024 anthology Manorathangal. Her main role in a mainstream film previously came in 2014's Samsaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram, co-starring Nazriya Nazim and Dulquer Salmaan.
The title is a nod to the iconic 'Chinna Chinna Aasai' song from Madhoo's own 1992 film Roja, directed by Mani Ratnam and co-starring Arvind Swamy. During the promotions, Indrans revealed that he was initially anxious since many actresses would refuse to act with him in films where he played lead roles. He also expressed much relief and gratitude as Madhoo (Madhubala) agreed to take on the female lead opposite him.
