4 min readKochiMar 24, 2026 06:08 PM IST
Aadu 3 box office collection: Although the Dhurandhar 2 fever has gripped the Indian box office and most markets are currently witnessing the spy actioner outperforming even native releases, director Midhun Manuel Thomas’ Aadu 3 remains immune to its impact and has registered exceptional earnings. Despite opening to mixed responses, the fantasy comedy-drama is continuing its strong run and is eyeing the Rs 100 crore mark in global gross.
In fact, the movie managed to earn Rs 87 crore worldwide in just four days, according to its makers. As of Tuesday evening, Aadu 3’s overall haul stands at Rs 88.90 crore, industry tracker Sacnilk reported. Interestingly, it has even crushed Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, which also released alongside Dhurandhar 2 and Aadu 3 on the same day, but has grossed only Rs 85.05 crore thus far.
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Aadu 3 commenced its run on Thursday, March 19, registering an India nett collection of Rs 5.95 crore. This figure witnessed an impressive jump in the subsequent days, reaching Rs 6.30 crore on Friday, Rs 7.15 crore on Saturday, and Rs 7.10 crore on Sunday. It also passed the crucial first Monday test by earning Rs 3.30 crore in the domestic market, with an overall occupancy rate of 40 per cent across 1,704 shows. The movie has grossed Rs 53.75 crore overseas.
Starring Jayasurya, Vinayakan, Sunny Wayne, Saiju Kurup, Dharmajan Bolgatty, and Vijay Babu in key roles, the latest fantasy comedy-drama is the first part of a two-part third instalment in the Aadu franchise. Aadu 3 currently ranks as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year.
Aadu 3 records second-highest weekend box office collection in Malayalam
Meanwhile, during a recent press meet, actor Vijay Babu, who co-produced the movie along with Venu Kunnappilly, dropped a major hint regarding Aadu 3’s budget. During the conversation, he stated that the total budget of the movie was about 70 per cent of what it had grossed in its initial days, including the opening weekend. “Aadu 3 has recorded the second-highest weekend box office collection ever in the history of Malayalam cinema. So far, its worldwide gross stands at Rs 87 crore,” Manorama Online quoted him as saying.
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Vijay added, “The film was released amidst numerous challenges. It wasn’t easy to make a decision, given the massive investment involved in making the movie. It was my production partner, Venu Kunnappilly, who gave me the courage to take such a decision. The film’s budget was approximately 70-75 per cent of the current gross collection.” Based on his words, the movie’s budget must have been approximately Rs 60-65 crore.
Midhun Manuel Thomas to quit Aadu franchise after Part 2 of third instalment
During the press meet, director Midhun Manuel Thomas reiterated his decision to part ways with the franchise after Aadu 3: Part 2. He also mentioned that since the producers hold the rights to the Aadu world and the characters in it, they can consider bringing in other creators to make spin-offs or even expand everything into a cinematic universe.
“For any production house, creating a shared universe is a dream. With Friday Film House (Vijay’s production company), we already have established characters, and if the need arises, we can definitely explore crossovers. There are seven main characters and several sub-characters, and we are open to incorporating more as the story progresses, especially when the audience gets fully invested,” Vijay Babu noted.
Aadu 3 earned Rs 87 crore worldwide in just four days. (Credit: Facebook/@FFHofficial)