Seemaraja Box Office Report: Sivakarthikeyan’s Star Power Holds Up The Film

Ponram's Seemaraja, starring Sivakarthikeyan, Soori, Samantha and Simran, hit theaters on September 13 as a Ganesh Chaturthi special. The film was supposed to open with 5am special shows, which were all sold out. However, due to some financial roadblocks, shows began only at 8am.

Reviews of the film were on the negative side and it received mixed reactions from audiences as well. The general consensus was that Seemaraja wasn't as engaging and entertaining as the director-hero duo's earlier blockbusters Varuthapadatha Vaalibar Sangam and Rajini Murugan, despite its high production values and an eye-catching period segment in which Siva was convincing as a Tamil warrior king.

Despite problems with its content, Seemaraja has done well at the box-office so far. The film has grossed around 26 CR in Tamil Nadu in four days. This figure can be attributed to the hype around the film and Sivakarthikeyan's ever-rising star power. A lot of films featuring even established senior actors struggle to make this much in TN over their entire run.

In Chennai city, Seemaraja has grossed 3.03 CR in four days, which is again a solid figure. The opening day Chennai gross was an impressive 1.01 CR, which is a first for a hero other than Rajinikanth, Vijay and Ajith.

However, outside the core Tamil Nadu market, Seemaraja has underwhelming numbers due to the adverse impact created by the reviews and word of mouth. In the USA, the film grossed 72,661 USD (53 lakhs) in its opening weekend (including premieres). In Kerala, it has grossed 80 lakhs in four days while in Karnataka, the film grossed 2.2 CR in four days. In Karnataka, the opening day was particularly huge with a gross of more than 1 CR.

The next few days will be challenging for Seemaraja due to a slew of big releases – Saamy Square (September 21), Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (September 27) and 96 (October 4). The producers are hopeful that Sivakarthikeyan's usual stronghold, the family audience, will head to theatres and catch Seemaraja. The film has to cover a lot more ground in the coming weeks before it can be called a commercially viable venture.