Box Office: In Kerala, Arjun Sarja's 'Blast' earns closer to 'Karuppu' and more than Suriya's 'Retro'

Arjun Sarja's family-oriented action movie "Blast" has achieved a spectacular box-office run in Kerala, generating an estimated cumulative gross collection of Rs 11.55 crore in its first 11 days of theatrical release. Due to its high-octane martial arts choreography and highly relatable family emotions, Kerala has unexpectedly emerged as the second-highest performer for this Tamil film co-starring Preity Mukundhan and Abhirami, trailing only its home market of Tamil Nadu.

Directed by newcomer Subash K. Raj, "Blast" has outperformed almost all mid-budget Tamil releases in Kerala. What makes "Blast" an extraordinary box office anomaly is its return on investment (ROI) and incredible day-by-day hold. Unlike typical action star-driven spectacles that suffer sharp post-opening drops, "Blast" is now performing similarly to how "Drishyam 3" did towards the end of its second week.

Interestingly, "Blast" has done better in Kerala than Suriya's "Retro" and Pradeep Ranganathan's "Dragon". Kerala was the weakest link for "Retro", crashing strongly after its initial weekend. In stark contrast, Kerala has been the other standout South market for "Blast", securing a remarkable Rs 6.36 crore gross in just its first seven days. On its 7th day alone, "Blast" pulled in an impressive Rs 1.15 crore in Kerala — a number "Retro" struggled to make in an entire week toward the end of its run.

When it comes to "Dragon", it was a bigger hit globally, grossing over Rs 146 crore worldwide compared to the Rs 55.45 crore "Blast" earned so far. The latter completely outperformed it in Kerala due to its phenomenal theatrical longevity driven by encouraging word-of-mouth. "Dragon" did a lifetime Kerala business of just Rs 2.56 crore.

Interestingly, the Kerala collection of "Blast" is inching closer to that of Suriya's latest blockbuster "Karuppu", which has earned a little above Rs 13 crore in Kerala.