When Mankatha released in 2011, it was not just a tier-1 hero delivering a blockbuster at the box office. It redefined trends and hero dynamics with Ajith Kumar bending the rules in his 50th film. 15 years later, the Mankatha vibe is still alive and kicking. This Friday (January 23) saw the re-release of the Venkat Prabhu directorial and the film is off to a flying start in Tamil Nadu.
Ajith is known for his stupendus stardom and his films historically have always opened to monstrous numbers in Tamil Nadu. Mankatha in 2011 was one of the biggest opening films of the time, second only to Rajinikanth's Endhiran in terms of opening day, opening weekend and opening week records.
Fast forward to 2026 and Mankatha has added a new record to its list. It is set to record biggest opening day ever for a re-release film in Tamil Nadu, overtaking Vijay's Ghilli. The Ajith-starrer recorded an impressive Rs 2.25 crore from advance booking, Rs 10 lakhs more than Ghilli despite having 300 shows lesser. This shows the immense craze around Mankatha even today.
With such massive pre-sales, Mankatha looks like having an opening day of roughly Rs 3 crore or thereabouts in Tamil Nadu. Only Jiiva's Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil is performing from the Pongal releases and that means plenty of room for Mankatha to perform in this extended Republic Day weekend.
Whether Mankatha can go past the lifetime re-release figures of Ghilli and Padayappa is another matter. However, this sensational opening once again proves the enigma of Ajith's stardom.
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[Data is compiled from independent sources linked to distributors and theater owners. Estimated figures could have a correction in the following day(s) when revised figures are obtained. This website doesn't take responsibility for the authenticity of these numbers]