The re-release box office clash between Ajith Kumar’s ‘Thunivu’ and Vijay’s ‘Ghilli’ has been a hot topic among the Tamil audience. Both films, which concluded their original runs long ago, are back, providing a trip down memory lane as the box office battle rages on. The film ‘Thunivu’ was re-released on February 20, 2026. Enthusiasm for its re-release was relatively high as the audience rushed to theaters, celebrating the movie like a festival. The trade and the re-release clash figures for ticket counts have become a hot topic in Kollywood.
‘Ghilli’ takes a strong lead
According to the box office report from Cinetrak, ‘Ghilli’ has clearly outperformed Thunivu in Tamil Nadu. The Vijay-starrer collected around Rs 2.25 crore in its first four days, about Rs 60 lakh on Friday, Rs 65 lakh on Saturday, a peak of nearly Rs 75 lakh on Sunday, and another Rs 25 lakh on Monday. In comparison, Thunivu earned approximately Rs 45 lakh in the same four-day period: Rs 18 lakh on Friday, Rs 15 lakh on Saturday, Rs 9 lakh on Sunday, and close to Rs 3 lakh on Monday. With weekday trends declining further, the Ajith film is expected to wrap up its re-release run around the ₹50 lakh mark.
‘Thunivu’s grand original run vs modest re-release response
H Vinoth’s directional hit ‘Thunivu’ saw phenomenal success during the film’s original Pongal 2023 release and Ajith’s ‘Dark Devil’ character continued to build upon this momentum. The film also starred Manju Warrier, Samuthirakani, John Kokken, Ajay, and Veera. Despite the film’s earlier success and massive fan following, the re-release failed to attract the same audience to theaters.See More: Rashmika Mandanna & Vijay Deverakonda Wedding Live Update: Couple to celebrate heritage with Telugu and Kodava marriage rituals
‘Ghilli’s nostalgia wave and cult status continue
Originally released in 2004 as the Tamil remake of ‘Okkadu,’ the movie ‘Ghilli’ carries strong nostalgia. Featuring Trisha Krishnan as the female lead and Prakash Raj in a villain role, the fast-paced screenplay and commercial elements lured audiences, resulting in a whopping box-office collection during its re-release. This trend, which proves the movie’s incredibly magnetic box office appeal, reaffirms that it is a Vijay mass favorite.
DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers and data in this article are compiled from diverse public and industry sources. All figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned, offering a fair representation of the movie’s box office performance. These totals may change as official studio data is updated or as additional international market reports are finalized. This data is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.