Actor Vishal's latest movie Chakra has taken a good start at the Chennai box office, collecting nearly Rs 31 lakh on the opening day. The film is perceived as a 'spiritual successor' to the star's 2018 release Irumbu Thirai, which had grossed Rs 38 lakh on day one.
The positive response to Chakra proves that the Tamil film industry has more or less returned to 'normal' after the Covid-19 lockdown. Vijay's Master, which hit the screens during Pongal, had previously emerged as a big hit at the box office despite releasing at a time when theatres were operating at 50 per cent capacity.
It reportedly collected around Rs 1.50 crore in Chennai on the opening day, exceeding expectations. Biggies such as Sulthan and Karnan, starring Karthi and Dhanush, are slated to hit the screens in the coming months.
Chakra, meanwhile, has created a fair deal of buzz among fans as it revolves around the burning issue of digital safety. The film features Vishal in an urban yet massy avatar, which has piqued the curiosity of the fans. It stars Shraddha Srinath as the leading lady and marks her first collaboration with Ambala hero.
She impressed fans with her work in Nerkonda Paarvai, a remake of the Hindi movie Pink. The actor suffered a bit of a setback when her eagerly-awaited film Maara released digitally as opposed to in theatres due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen whether Chakra helps her consolidate her standing in the industry.
The film has, either way, garnered positive reviews and the word of mouth is better than expected. This may help it stay strong in the coming days.
It is also unlikely to face any competition from the week's big release Tom & Jerry as the Hollywood movie caters to a niche audience. The film may, however, not do as well as expected in 'B' and 'C' markets as it has a distinct urban vibe.