Idly Kadai box office collection day 1: Dhanush-starrer off to a promising start, opens at Rs 10.5 crore

Idly Kadai box office collection day 1: According to industry experts, the film's long-term run heavily depends on positive word-of-mouth as it has released against Rishab Shetty's much-awaited Kantara Chapter 1.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: October 2, 2025 02:06 PM IST

2 min read

Idly Kadai opened at Rs 10.5 crore at the box office.

Idly Kadai box office collection day 1. (Photo: IMDb)

Idly Kadai box office collection day 1: Tamil star Dhanush has returned in a triple role as actor, director, and producer with his latest release Idly Kadai. The film, which also features Nithya Menen, Arun Vijay, Shalini Pandey, and Sathyaraj in key roles, hit theaters on October 1. Its release came just a day ahead of two other big titles—Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 in Kannada and Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoor’s Hindi entertainer Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari.

Mounted on a reported budget of Rs 80 crore, Idly Kadai opened with a collection of Rs 10.5 crore India nett, as per industry tracker Sacnilk. On its first day, the film registered an overall occupancy of 48.34% in Tamil and 18.33% in Telugu. In terms of screens, it had a solid release with 2,620 shows across India with 2,153 in Tamil and 467 in Telugu.

Also Read | Idli Kadai movie review: An earnest and hopeful Dhanush steers this conventional melodrama in the right direction

While these numbers mark a respectable start, they fall short when compared to Dhanush’s previous outing Kuberaa, which released earlier this year. That film had opened at Rs 14.75 crore from 2,948 shows across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada. However, it tanked at the box office.

Idly Kadai also marks the actor’s second directorial this year, after Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam. That film, starring Pavish Narayan, Mathew Thomas, Anikha Surendran, Priya Prakash Varrier, R Sarathkumar, had opened at Rs 1.15 crore. It went on to earn a lifetime collection of Rs 5.3 crore worldwide.

Watch | Patriot teaser: Mammootty joins hands with Mohanlal in this high-stakes political actioner, as Fahadh Faasil proclaims this reunion will be a blast

Early trade estimates suggest Idly Kadai has collected Rs 1.51 crore by noon on Day 2. Despite the stiff competition from Kantara Chapter 1, the film has managed to retain a significant number of screens and draw a steady crowd. Industry experts believe its box-office trajectory will depend heavily on word-of-mouth in the coming days.

From the homepage