Dhanush's "Naiyaandi" and Shiva's "Vanakkam Chennai" have taken a good opening in its debut weekend at the Chennai box office.
Both films, which hit the screens on 11 October, belong to the comedy genre. While "Naiyaandi" received mixed reviews, "Vannakam Chennai" managed to get decent feedback. But the Dhanush starrer has taken a better opening than "Vanakkam Chennai" at the Chennai box office.
Naiyaandi
According to Behindwoods report, "Naiyaandi" earned ₹1,02,69,070 in its opening weekend. The film registered average theatre occupancy of 65 percent during the debut weekend, reported Behindwoods. With Monday (14 October) being a holiday, the film is expected to have fetched decent collections.
Directed by Sargunam of "Kalavani" fame, "Naiyaandi" is a romantic-comedy entertainer with Dhanush and Nazriya in the leads. Expectations were high for the film, thanks to Dhanush's star power. "Naiyaandi" was Dhanush's third release of the year next to "Raanjhanaa" (Hindi) and "Mariyaan" (Tamil). While the first two films were critically-acclaimed, "Naiyaandi" has failed to impress the critics. It fetched mostly negative reviews from critics, who have termed it as a rural comedy entertainer that lacks a good story. Negative word of mouth might affect the film's prospects in the future.
Vanakkam Chennai
Shiva-Priya Anand's "Vanakkam Chennai" has minted ₹80,70,525 in its first weekend in Chennai. The film registered average theatre occupancy of 75 percent during the debut weekend.
"Vanakkam Chennai" is a directorial venture of Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, who has won accolades from critics for its engaging storyline. The pre-release buzz for the film was quite good, thanks to its popular songs and promotional activities.
Positive feedback might help the film to fetch better collections in the coming days.
With no big releases, "Naiyaandi" and "Vanakkam Chennai" are expected to dominate the screens in Tamil Nadu for the next few days.
