Maharaja box-office collection: Vijay Sethupathi-starrer crosses ₹20 crore

According to Sacnilk, the film grossed ₹9 crore on 16 June alone.

On its opening day, the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer earned ₹4.5 crore, followed by ₹7.5 crore on the second day.

Maharaja‘s weekend earnings surged, pushing its total collection towards ₹25 crore. It is anticipated that the movie will eventually gross ₹50 crore.

On 16 June, director Nithilan announced on X that 199.32K tickets were booked in the last 24 hours, marking the highest single-day ticket sales for a Tamil film in 2024.

#Maharaja#VJS50@VijaySethuOffl pic.twitter.com/gzUyrPHiQV

— Nithilan Saminathan (@Dir_Nithilan) June 16, 2024

With today being Eid-al-Adha, a public holiday, Maharaja is expected to bring in an additional ₹10 crore, drawing large crowds to the theatres.

The Vijay Sethupathi-starrer received positive reviews for its stunning screenplay from the film circuit, including Lokesh Kanagaraj, Venkat Prabhu, and Keerthy Suresh.

Marking the 50th milestone in Vijay Sethupathi’s illustrious career, Maharaja was released in Tamil and Telugu.

The film did not have a pan-India release and had a limited presence in the northern regions, with no Hindi dubbed version available.

Maharaja is the third-biggest Tamil opener of the year, following Aranmanai 4 (₹4.65 crore) and Dhanush’s Captain Miller, which earned ₹8.80 crore on its first day.

On platforms such as BookMyShow, the Vijay Sethupathi film holds an impressive rating of 9 out of 10, indicating widespread acclaim. While the overseas box office figures are still not clear, the film’s strong performance domestically suggests it is already a huge hit.

#Maharaja shatters records in the UK with an unprecedented opening weekend for @VijaySethuOffl, grossing £54,011! On track to become VJS’s highest-earning film ever. The blockbuster streak continues for #AhimsaEntertainment ❤️

Tamil cinema is on fire! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/54cZjU4hzx

— Ahimsa Entertainment (@ahimsafilms) June 17, 2024

Maharaja review: Vijay Sethupathi reigns in this convoluted yet convincing drama

Vijay Sethupathi on films and being himself

In an interview, Vijay Sethupathi discussed his experience of burnout after working extensively on multiple films.

He expressed feeling stuck at times, with things not going as planned on set due to misunderstandings or lengthy schedules.

Vijay Sethupathi and director Nithilan at ‘Maharaja’ success meet in Hyderabad. (Supplied)

Vijay Sethupathi noted that personal life conflicts can make stepping away tempting, but unlike regular jobs, taking a day off isn’t feasible in the film industry.

“Any film involves a lot of money. Commitment is key, as any delay could result in significant financial losses,” the actor added.

Additionally, a recent video clip of Vijay Sethupathi went viral online. In the interview, he expressed that he misses the person he used to be.

“There was a time when I was innocent and had no dreams or direction in life. During my first year of college, I had no idea what the second-year syllabus entailed. My friends would talk about it, and I would just say, ‘I don’t know.’ I wasn’t good at sports or academics, and I was too shy to talk to girls, so I didn’t have any girlfriends. Despite this, I had a strong desire to achieve something significant and rise above poverty, even though I didn’t know how to go about it. That version of myself was truly innocent. I miss that person,” the actor reflected.

Vijay Sethupathi worked as a salesman, cashier, and phone booth operator while studying in college.

After earning a degree in commerce, he joined a wholesale cement business before moving to Dubai for an accounting job. Despite earning four times more than in India, he was unsatisfied and returned home.

After coming back to India in 2003, Vijay Sethupathi got married and started an interior decoration business with his friends, later joining a marketing company. He told Forbes, “If my business had taken off, I would have never become an actor.”

(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)

Also Read: From Thenmerku Paruvakaatru to Maharaja: Vijay Sethupathi, the all-rounder