Rajinikanth Starrer Jailer 2 Sets New Box Office Record on Opening Day in Keralam

Actor Rajinikanth's new movie Jailer 2 has set a new record for first-day box office collections for a Tamil film in Keralam, bringing joy to theatre owners across the State.

Collections and Records

The film earned a gross of about ₹12.65 crore on its opening day. It beat the previous record held by actor Vijay's movie Leo, which collected about ₹12 crore on its first day. Suresh Shenoy, a member of the executive committee of the Film Exhibitors' United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), noted that Jailer 2 enjoyed strong advance bookings that matched its heavy pre-release hype. The huge turnout led many theatres to run screenings for 18 continuous hours on the first day.

Industry Impact

Theatre associations expect the positive momentum to continue through the weekend and into the next week, backed by extended holidays for Navaratri and Puja celebrations lasting until Wednesday. P.V. Basheer Ahamed, president of the Kerala Film Exhibitors' Association, stated that the industry previously faced a mixed patch in 2026 before relief arrived from the blockbuster Malayalam film Bethlehem Kudumba Unit on August 21, 2026. He added that rising maintenance and operational costs mean theatres need a steady flow of crowd-pulling movies to stay afloat. Former FEUOK president K. Vijayakumar also noted that theatres are planning extra shows to make the most of the high public interest, hoping for an extended run that helps them sail through October.

Context

Festive holiday periods like Navaratri often lead to a surge in box office earnings as more people visit cinema halls. Tamil cinema enjoys a large and dedicated audience in neighbouring Keralam, allowing major star-led releases to frequently set regional collection benchmarks.