South Swag, Slow Starters: Karuppu Roars As New Hindi Releases Find Their Feet

With multiple films across languages vying for screens, the mid‑May frame has turned into a stress test for India’s theatrical recovery. Trade trackers point to a familiar pattern: strong buzz for high‑concept South and Marathi content, softer starts for Hindi rom‑com and thriller fare, and long legs for well‑received holdovers.

Solid Start For Suriya’s Tamil Thriller

Suriya–Trisha’s social thriller Karuppu, released on May 15, delivered the day’s strongest opening among new releases.

Sacnilk estimates Day‑1 India net at about ₹14.40 crore (₹16.66 crore India gross) with roughly ₹4 crore overseas, pushing worldwide gross to around ₹20.66 crore, a robust launch that positions the film as one of Suriya’s biggest openers.

Pati Patni Aur Woh Do And Aakhri Sawal

Ayushmann Khurrana’s ensemble rom‑com Pati Patni Aur Woh Do has opened on the lower side despite wide showcasing. Live trackers peg its early India net in the ₹1.8–2.8 crore band on Day 1, with worldwide gross around ₹5.6 crore after two days of business.

Thriller Aakhri Sawal is starting even softer; early data suggests around ₹0.4 crore India net and roughly ₹0.63 crore worldwide over its first two days, indicating it will rely heavily on word‑of‑mouth to sustain shows.

Raja Shivaji And Krishnavataram Hold Firm

Riteish Deshmukh’s historical drama Raja Shivaji continues to be the quiet success story of May. As of May 15, its India net stands around ₹78–78.4 crore with worldwide gross near ₹92.8 crore; the film is racing towards the ₹100‑crore worldwide club and all‑time Marathi records.

Mythological fantasy Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart has maintained a steady run; Sacnilk data shows total gross of about ₹17.4 crore and India net around ₹14.7–15 crore as of May 15, impressive for a limited‑screen release driven by strong word‑of‑mouth.

What The Weekend Could Look Like

Trade analysts expect Karuppu to dominate the weekend, with family and mass audiences likely to drive strong occupancies across Tamil belts.

Pati Patni Aur Woh Do and Aakhri Sawal will be eyeing Saturday–Sunday jumps; without clear growth, they risk being overshadowed by holdovers Raja Shivaji and Krishnavataram, which still command loyal repeat viewership in their core markets.

Friday Numbers At A Glance

• Karuppu Day‑1 India net around ₹14.4 crore; ₹20.66 crore worldwide gross including ₹4 crore overseas
• Pati Patni Aur Woh Do trending at roughly ₹1.8–2.8 crore India net on Day 1; ~₹5.62 crore worldwide after two days
• Aakhri Sawal posts an early India net near ₹0.4 crore, ~₹0.63 crore worldwide over two days
• Raja Shivaji crosses ~₹78 crore India net and ~₹92.8 crore worldwide, closing in on the ₹100‑crore mark and Marathi records; Krishnavataram stands near ₹14.7–15 crore India net, ₹17.4 crore gross

Sources: GoodReturns, Sacnilk , TrackTollywood