Radhika Sarathkumar‘s Thaai Kizhavi has turned out to be one of Tamil Nadu’s biggest box office surprises, collecting close to ₹60 crore gross in the state and outperforming Sivakarthikeyan‘s Parasakthi — which had all the makings of a major Pongal blockbuster.
Parasakthi’s Box Office Run
Parasakthi entered the Pongal season with substantial buzz. Strong promotional content boosted excitement, and the postponement of Jana Nayagan due to censor issues handed it a clean festival window. Despite those advantages, the film failed to connect with audiences and ended its theatrical run at around ₹57 crore gross in Tamil Nadu.
Thaai Kizhavi Crosses Parasakthi’s Lifetime Total
Thaai Kizhavi, led by Radhika Sarathkumar, was made on a modest budget of around ₹10 crore. The film emerged as one of Tamil Nadu’s biggest grossers of the year, collecting nearly ₹60 crore gross and crossing Parasakthi‘s lifetime total in the state.
| Film | Tamil Nadu Gross | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Thaai Kizhavi | approx ₹60 Cr | ₹10 Cr |
| Parasakthi | approx ₹57 Cr | ₹140 Cr |
Adding to the irony: Sivakarthikeyan himself produced Thaai Kizhavi. His production house backed the film that ended up outgrossing his own theatrical release — a remarkable turn of events.
The outcome reinforces a point Tamil cinema has proven repeatedly: content drives collections, not star power alone.