The Tamil rural comedy-drama Thaai Kizhavi, headlined by veteran actress Radhikaa Sarathkumar, continues its remarkable theatrical journey, crossing the ₹77 crore mark globally in just 23 days and positioning itself as a strong contender to become the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year.
Directed by Sivakumar Murugesan and produced under Sivakarthikeyan Productions, the film—released on February 27, 2026—tells the story of a spirited grandmother dealing with family antics and village life, blending heartfelt comedy with touching moments. Made on a modest budget of around ₹9 crore, it has delivered extraordinary returns, already surpassing 500% ROI and earning a resounding super hit status.
According to the latest tracking from Sacnilk (via Koimoi reports as of Day 23, March 22, 2026):
- India net collection: Approximately ₹56.53 crore
- India gross: Around ₹66.7 crore
- Overseas gross: ₹10.35 crore
- Worldwide gross: ₹77.05 crore
The film showed a healthy weekend bounce on Day 23 (fourth Saturday), collecting an estimated ₹1.58 crore in India—a 125.71% jump from Day 22’s ₹70 lakh (which dipped due to post-Ugadi normalization). This steady performance has kept Thaai Kizhavi in the race, needing just ₹7.71 crore more to overtake the current leader, Parasakthi (₹84.75 crore worldwide), and claim the top grosser spot for Kollywood in 2026.
Key milestones so far include:
- Crossing ₹50 crore net in India by Day 17
- Becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film in India (net) by Day 20, surpassing Parasakthi
- Hitting ₹70 crore worldwide by Day 19
- Adding ₹12.75 crore in its strong third week alone
Trade experts attribute the success to positive word-of-mouth, family-friendly appeal, excellent hold in Tamil Nadu’s B and C centers, and Radhikaa Sarathkumar’s acclaimed performance as the titular “Thaai Kizhavi.” The film’s clean humor in the first half and emotional depth in the second have driven repeat viewings and solid occupancy.
With no major Tamil releases competing this weekend and the film still running strongly in theatres, projections suggest it could push towards ₹80-85 crore worldwide before wrapping up its run. An OTT premiere is expected soon, likely by late March or early April 2026.
