Jailer box office Day 14: Can Rajinikanth starrer survive the heat of King of Kotha?

Superstar Rajinikanth's latest movie Jailer seems to be going steady despite seeing a drop in footfalls following a record-breaking second weekend . The movie remained the top choice for the majority of the country with little competition at the box office till last week. However, the movie is likely to face its biggest competition yet in Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan's latest King of Kotha. 

While King of Kotha may not impact Jailer at the Tamil Nadu box office, where the Rajinikanth starrer dominates the majority of the screens even in its third week, we cannot say the same about other southern states. 

ALSO READ: Decoding the cultural shock of seeing Rajinikanth bow before Yogi Adityanath

Biggest Tamil hit in Kerala

Jailer has been having a dream run at the Kerala box office since its release on August 10. The demand for the movie in the state has been unparalleled; from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to fans spanning generations thronged the cinemas across the state. The theatres were forced to run non-stop shows starting from 6 AM till 3 AM the following day. The movie on its first Sunday raked in about Rs 7 crore in ticket sales in the state, setting a new benchmark for Tamil cinema at the Kerala box office. 

Jailer has already become the biggest Tamil hit in Kerala, surpassing the lifetime collection of Kamal Haasan's Vikram (Rs 40 crore) at break-neck speed. In just 13 days, Jailer sold over Rs 48 crore worth of tickets in Kerala. Even on the weekdays, the movie continued to collect an average of Rs 1 crore every day there. 

Jailer also found a lot of takers in the Gulf region, which was usually dominated by Malayalam and Hindi movies. Many credited the unprecedented reception of the movie in Kerala and the Gulf region to the explosive cameo by Superstar Mohanlal in the movie. 

King of Kotha, Dulquer Salmaan's biggest release

However, with the release of King of Kotha, Jailer may hit a speed bump in these regions. The world premiere of the Dulquer Salmaan starrer took place in Dubai amid a lot of fanfare. The movie has also opened to a roaring reception from his fans in Kerala. And it will undercut Jailer's earnings in the state. 

ALSO READ: King of Kotha box office: Dulquer Salmaan is set for record-making opening 

However, the trade is confident that Jailer will become the first Tamil film to collect Rs 50 crore at the Kerala box office. 

In the meantime, the worldwide collection of Jailer is said to be inching closer to Rs 600 crore.