Athiradi, starring Tovino Thomas and Basil Joseph in the lead, has continued its strong theatrical run over the opening weekend, emerging as one of the biggest Malayalam box-office performers of the year so far. According to industry tracker Sacnilk.com, the film has grossed ₹45.38 crore worldwide within four days of release.
The action-comedy entertainer reportedly earned ₹24.38 crore gross from India and another ₹21 crore from overseas markets during its extended opening weekend. Its India net collection currently stands at ₹21.02 crore from 7,481 shows nationwide. The film maintained steady momentum across all four days, with daily India net collections staying above ₹4 crore. Sunday turned out to be its strongest day yet, with the film collecting an estimated ₹5.60 crore net domestically, as per Sacnilk.
Directed by debutant Arun Anirudhan, who previously co-wrote Minnal Murali, Athiradi appears to have benefited heavily from positive word-of-mouth among younger audiences and family viewers. The film also features Vineeth Sreenivasan in an extended cameo role.
In terms of opening-weekend performance, Athiradi has already surpassed the initial four-day worldwide gross of several recent Malayalam blockbusters. According to Sacnilk data, Aavesham had collected around ₹42 crore worldwide in its first four days, while Manjummel Boys grossed approximately ₹36 crore during the same period. Premalu had a comparatively modest four-day start of around ₹16 crore before going on to become one of the industry’s biggest success stories through exceptional theatrical hold.
However, Athiradi still trails the opening pace of sequel-driven biggies such as Vaazha 2 and Aadu 3. Sacnilk figures indicate that Vaazha 2 had recorded a massive ₹8.55 crore India net on its fourth day alone, while Aadu 3 had already grossed over ₹50 crore from overseas markets within four days. Both films later crossed major lifetime milestones globally.
Trade observers note that Athiradi’s real test will begin on weekdays, particularly with Monday collections expected to offer a clearer picture of the film’s long-term sustainability.
Set against the backdrop of a college festival, the action comedy entertainer revolves around the chaotic rivalry between Basil Joseph’s college student Samkutty and Tovino Thomas’s Sreekuttan Vellayani, a reformed gangster.
