Despite receiving mixed reviews, Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan’s film Vettaiyan is poised for a remarkable opening in India. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 25.27 crore by 10 pm on its opening day.

Vettaiyan witnessed the highest occupancy of 53.96 per cent for its Tamil version. The Telugu version followed with 34.1 per cent, while the Hindi version saw a 8.11 per cent occupancy, and the Kannada version trailed with 10.79 per cent. Although the film had a solid start, its first-day domestic collection might just fall short compared to Rajinikanth’s previous release, Jailer, which raked in Rs 48.35 crore on its opening day in India. Jailer, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, went on to earn a lifetime domestic collection of Rs 348.55 crore nett. For Vettaiyan to match or surpass Rajinikanth’s previous hit, a strong performance during its first weekend is essential.

Released ahead of Dussehra, Vettaiyan is expected to benefit from the festive season, with holidays likely to boost its box office collections. Additionally, the film is performing well overseas, having earned $2 million in North America, according to reports.

Avinash Ramachandran of Indianexpress.com rated the movie 2.5 stars, stating, “Vettaiyan is also burdened by the presence of Rajinikanth, the superstar. TJ Gnanavel is torn between giving a Rajini film and making a commentary on encounter killings. It gets even tougher because the struggle is never internal, and we don’t really get to understand the machinations of the role. Does he really understand the consequences of his actions? He says he understands, but never for a moment, do we buy into his mind.”

Directed by T.J. Gnanavel, Vettaiyan features an ensemble cast that includes Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Fahadh Faasil, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh, Dushara Vijayan, Abhirami, and Rohini. The music is composed by Anirudh Ravichander. Additionally, Vettaiyan also marks the reunion of megastars Amitabh and Rajinikanth after 33 years; the last time they shared the screen was in the Hindi film Hum.